


Red Skies at Dawn

by daychaser



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Gen, Historical
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-04-10 23:27:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 75,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4412069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daychaser/pseuds/daychaser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It has been 70 years since The Fall and the Axis won World War II. Nations are simply trying to survive, but two humans have been set up to change the course of events, putting everyone at risk. Alliances turn, treaties are broken, and a lot of things burn.</p><p>Themes of morality, companionship, death, and family, among others.</p><p>Story is not romance-centered (although certainly hints of it, some more outright than others). It is slow-building,+ has multiple POVs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to this crazy fic that I've spent countless nights thinking about! I just had to write this down. 
> 
> Red Skies at Dawn is a writing exercise for me. An important, soul-absorbing, life-altering writing exercise. I started off with a very big idea, because when I think of a world to put these characters in, I want to make it as big and epic as possible. I love stories that show an ensemble of characters and wanted to portray that. A huge portion of Hetalia characters will be involved. The story is definitely a guinea pig though- I'm going to play with OCs, different POV's, and even narration styles. I'm just hoping I'm creating an engaging story and improving with every chapter, and hopefully you will enjoy it too! It's my first fic, but I've done creative writing in the past. Nevertheless, I've done nothing of this magnitude or scope, so bear with me!
> 
> Warnings: Nazis. I take creative liberties in portraying how a world would be if the Axis won WWII. Needless to say, it's not pretty. Violence, torture, major character death(s), disturbing imagery. I'm not going to go crazy with the gore or give over-the-top detail, but in no way is it light-hearted or skipped completely. Lots of gray morality... "good" characters certainly do bad/amoral things and "bad" characters can have some redeeming qualities. It's up to you to deem them 'right' or 'wrong' or somewhere in the middle. A big part of this story is figuring that out for yourself.
> 
> Disclaimer: In no way am I supporting/endorsing/romanticizing Nazism or wish that Germany won WWII or anything like that. What they did was inexcusable and horrific. I don't own Hetalia.
> 
> And with with that, let's start our adventure.

Prologue

He could hear them from miles away. He could _feel_ them long before.

And yet there wasn’t enough time. Never enough. What a funny thing for an ageless semi-immortal being to think. 

A certain heaviness weighed him down as his nerves fired and his hands shook, frantically trying to save anything he could. Books, manuscripts, information, his safe combination: too many things running through his mind as his heart beat like never before. Why did the place have to be so damn big?

The safe was first. He frantically twisted the dial, swerving it to numbers he could never forget.

  _77-43-16-48-40_

He held his breath, internally begging his body to stop shaking. After the precious moments ticked by and the code was entered, he whispered the second barrier, trying desperately to keep his voice from hitching. The sounds were only getting closer.

_“ánmédla beforan æring”_

The words that came out were rusty but he could never forget them. They were culturally embedded in his DNA. Even though the Soviets and the Germans wanted to destroy their own culture he knew that he would remember his own no matter how hard they tried to wipe it out.

 He thanked God that the spell caught and the safe opened. He grabbed as much as he could. He quickly ran through the items to mentally reassure himself that these would be the safe ones. 

  _Manhattan._ The documents in that manilla file were perhaps the most pressing.

  _Dear_ _Arthur, Beowulf and Shakespeare, maps, £100,000-_ the useless currency was more a psychological security blanket than anything- _East India, Elizabeth..._

  _Identities-_ He made sure he had all three. _Rhea, Justin, Katarina_.

  _America - Safe house locations._

 After nearly wiping the thing clean, he put the items on the table nearby, his arms fumbling with all of the materials. The sound of boots on gravel kept reverberating in his head as they got closer. He leaned on the table and closed his eyes as he tried to concentrate and muster all the energy he could. Magic was so much harder now. 

 “Please,” he murmured out loud, refusing the wet in his eyes.

 His hands shook. 

 “ _Gefriðsum”_

 Nothing. 

 He forced everything he had into it, thinking of the forests, the rivers, the lakes, the heart of his land. He thought of summer breezes years ago, and wildflowers in the hills.

  _“Gefriðsum”_

 A wisp of air signaled that it was done. The memories of what once was was etched into his head. Retrieval would be difficult. He was exhausted and had nothing left in him. The pounding of boots was excruciating now.

 He attempted to run to the library in the other corridor and grab his favorite books. It was coming now- this was it. As soon as he made it to the room a violent pounding on the front door made his eyes clench shut. 

 After five seconds of silence it came.

 “Drei!”

 “Zwei!”

 “Eins!”

 The sound of a breaching charge erupted throughout the house. The click of weapons and boots entered into the entryway, making sure there was no immediate threat. When the movement died down he heard a loud voice that he knew all too well.

 “I know you’re here, England. Save us the trouble and come out- or do we have to take a full search party into this little palace of yours?”

 England looked up, a couple of his most favorite and prized letters and books in his hands. This was it, wasn’t it? The end of the line. His charade was up.

 “I’m coming,” he managed to say.

 England walked through the corridor and to the entry. Ten soldiers of the SS stood there, automatic rifles aimed and ready at the command. He probably looked pitiful. His hair a mess, starving, carrying as many books as he could. No defenses. He was distraught. 

 The huge bouquet of roses from the garden stood on the table, not a single petal out of place. Meanwhile, his whole doorway was dissolved into splintering bits of wood. The crystal chandelier above them twinkled ever so slightly, still recovering from the charge. The calm before the storm.

 In that moment Germany came forward, gun holstered. He shook his head as if he were looking at a stray dog begging for food. “You can’t run from me,” he said in a horrifyingly hushed voice that broke the silence.

 “You look like shit,” England mustered, although he knew the same could most definitely be said for him. The remark was all he had left. Hope, perhaps? But that flicker was getting smaller and smaller everyday.

 Instantly, the ten men were looking down the sights of their ten guns. England swallowed hard.

 “Take him,” Germany growled in his native tongue.

 Five men put away their guns simultaneously and went towards him. England didn’t move. The other five moved forward, their guns still trained on him from four meters away. They grabbed him viciously, forcing him to drop his books and papers. They landed, sprawled on the ground. England closed his eyes, forcing himself to keep his dignity. He couldn’t beg. 

 His arms were yanked back. He vaguely thought about how many men they needed to subdue him. It would have taken a lot more years ago. An army.

 Chains were used to bound his hands behind him. After, one of the men kicked him in the back of the knees, causing him to collapse. England fell to his knees, not being able to catch himself with his hands tied. Still, he was England. Something had to be said. “Chains? I thought you would have something a little more innovative.”

 Germany approached him swiftly, withdrew his gun, and put the barrel to his forehead.

 “You know the terms. Are you with us, or against us?”

 Self-preservation reigned supreme and England had to fight back the urge to vomit. He looked up from the ground, his face that of a broken man.

 “I am with you. I know where she is.” 

 England saw it, the flash of disbelief in Germany’s face. Germany had doubts.

 “You must prove your loyalty after all you’ve done,” Germany reiterated.

 England knew the price. “I know where she is,” he repeated. He never remembered hating himself more than in that moment.

 “There will be more you must do. One wrong move and you are dead.”

 “I am well aware of the situation, Germany.”

 “America will not survive.”

 England stared up at him. “Very well.”

 Germany glanced over to one of his men and nodded hesitantly. He gave a signal and the chains were removed from England’s hands.

 “Trust must start somewhere,” Germany said. “I’m glad we’ve reached an agreement. Follow me.”

 The men didn’t put their guns down. He followed Germany through the nonexistent door and out towards the front driveway. After about thirty meters, they stopped and Germany nodded again to the men. 

 A group of them walked back towards the house. One of them had a bottle of kerosene with them. Realization came over England as he looked on in horror, eyes wide.

 “Germany- don’t... my things... please,” he choked out, willing to beg this time. This was all he had. Everything from all those years. It made him who he was. They couldn’t... Confiscate, yes. But destroy? They were books of tales long ago. A memory of what once was. 

 “Trust,” was all he said.

 England brought his hands to his face as the breeze picked up. 

 The fire was started in a matter of seconds. He had to sit there and watch for a long time as his home for hundreds of years was destroyed. His books, documents, gifts from people throughout history, his things- all to be gone. Eventually the fire began to scorch the earth underneath and England’s heart felt like it was on fire as he smelled the sickening scent of gasoline and heat. 

 For the first time in a long time, tears welled up in his eyes as he fell to the ground in agony. He wanted to scream, but some last shred of dignity stopped him. All he could do was cry silent tears as he was forced to watch the enormous thing burn to the ground.

 After the house turned black with ashes Germany demanded, “Get up. We are going to Berlin now.” 

 England did so, his eyes dry by now. The house took a long time to go. He was alive. He didn’t care what he had to do; he would survive no matter what. 

 “I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

 

 


	2. You Can't Hide

_Cities are crumbling and the world clutches your throat,_

_Darkness has swept over,  
_ _Like a blanket that slowly suffocates the resolve from your veins,_

_And you can't believe that you are the one that people will look back on in regret and sorrow.  
_ _The world will pity you then, but now there is nothing for you._

_Your breath is ashes and your eyes are paralyzed,  
_ _Comfort will never be known._

_But even through this Hell,_  
_Death is the most terrifying thing.  
_ _The unknown is a black abyss that will burn your body in a fiery inferno and spit you back out into eternity._

_For you have never not known the world, and this world is beautiful._  
_Gray is the brightest color of the spectrum and tears quench your thirst,  
_ _You survive on oppression and subjugation,_

_because feeling the pain is like bliss compared to the torture of infinity._

CHAPTER I  
\- Rhea Warner -

The cool autumn rain fell lightly through the winding paths of the labyrinthine campus. It was after dark, and only a couple of students could be seen walking this late. There was an eerie, yet peaceful silence that I loved about this time of night. The beautiful, tall buildings of the university had a sort of gothic, old-world European look that I appreciated even more when the dim street lamps softly illuminated the grounds.

I approached the officer that stood at the gate. He was young, only a few years older than me. His job was to make sure that no one got on campus that wasn't supposed to. Imprisonment was the penalty if anyone was caught where they weren't supposed to be.

"Hello Rhea," he said in a thick accent, showing his white teeth as I gave a small smile back. He was nice enough, but every time I saw him- and people like him, uneasiness washed over me. His red armband was illuminated under the lamp above us. He was only a few years older than me, working a remedial job. I rummaged around for my identification card, always slightly nervous even though I never did anything wrong. "You do something different with your hair today, ja? I like it" he swirled his pointer finger above his own hair, wearing that same smile.

I couldn't help but blush slightly. "Yeah- um yes, thank you" I said, looking at the ground and running my hands through my dirty blonde hair, overly-aware of my appearance now.

Claus pressed his lips together and concentrated on looking at my identification card that he had seen almost every day for the past couple of months. He obviously liked me and he was quite a good looking man, with green-blue eyes and light hair. The perfect example, I suppose. His veins showed through the pale skin under his wrist, and his jaw was prominent and strong. I felt on edge when I was around him, and I could sense he was a bit disappointed that I never really responded to his flirting.

He then handed the card back to me, knowing that he never had to check in the first place because he knew me. I think he took the time to check it because he liked my company. It must get pretty boring sitting in his small booth to make sure none of the rabble gets in.

"It's stupid how I have to check this every time, isn't it? Between you and me, I think the whole regime is a little too paranoid," he chuckled.

I nodded, "perhaps" was all I said in my curt response. The more words I said the more questions people asked. Conceding that he wasn't going to get much out of me, he sighed and with a low voice uttered something that made my blood freeze. "I'm not like the others. I- I'm not cold and heartless and I don't think you're any less than me." My heart took a plunge, and right then I realized that I had to play the game. Whether he was truthful or not, I couldn't take any risks. It would be a game of roulette and I wasn't crazy enough to go down that path yet.

I smiled and shook my head. "What ever do you mean?" I asked with a perplexed expression on my face.

He bit the inside of his lip and looked down at his feet, not knowing what to say. He then shrugged, bringing back his cordial demeanor. "Goodnight Rhea, have sweet dreams!" And just like that he was back to his old self. He was proud of his knowledge concerning English and that was a phrase he had learned recently. It was something he said to me every time I came to campus late at night. There was a feeling in my stomach of amiability and kindness, but as soon as I found my mind wandering into that territory I felt like vomiting. He was the enemy. They all were. He fights for racism, oppression and death. But still, I couldn't help but blush at him, no matter how much I tried to squash the feeling. It made me sick and mortified.

I gave a small chuckle through my closed mouth and smiled. "Good night, Claus" and then proceeded to walk away as quickly as I could without it being noticeable.

There was a part of me that felt bad for him, as I was barely cordial to him even though he had done nothing to me. But his  _kind_  had. He scared me and I knew that I should hate him, and a big part inside of me did. However, it was in my best interest to be friendly, and even though I told myself that it was all an act, there was another part of me that felt bad for him. I just needed to stop thinking about him. That's all. It confused me and made me angry at myself all at the same time.

It was about ten o'clock and I had finished my internship at the new government building in Washington, DC. My mind began to wander to my internship with Kauffmann. I should be grateful for an internship beings that not many women got to hold very good jobs to begin with, but instead I clenched my fists at the thought of him. He was the definition of evil, always thinking of new ways to murder or brutalize, and all I could say was, "Of course, whatever you want, sir."

I finally reached the entrance to my dormitory and placed my hand on the lighted security pad and inserted my key card to unlock the door. A blue laser reader scanned up and down my palm, analyzing every papilla and emitting a blue glow that lit up my face in the dark of night. The door opened into the small lobby which was guarded by an older campus police officer sitting at a small desk.

"Good evening, Ned" I said before I pressed my lips together and turned up the corners of my mouth. I wasn't in the most bubbly of moods.

"Have a good day at work? You're back late," Ned responded as he ran his hand through his hair and gave me a solemn look.

I snorted, then motioned my head ever so slightly at the camera that was watching the lobby. "It was fine. A little stressful, but fine."

Ned nodded with a glint in his eyes. He then raised his arm up. I raised my right arm as well in response. My face was blank with emotion. The salute was mechanical to me. I then turned to head towards the stairway, sensing the large red, white, and black flags that adorned the hallway.

"Good night, Miss Warner." I just gave a close-lipped smile in acknowledgement.

When I opened the door to my dorm, I was silently grateful that my roommate, Cassia, was gone. It was a Friday night and many students were probably at parties or other functions of the sort. We were all so lucky to be here, but it seemed like a thick haze filled the air, making it difficult to breathe. I would have to work tomorrow so I was happy that Cassia was not going to be a distraction that would impede my ability in getting a good night's rest. There was a part of me that wished that I was at one of the parties, getting wasted so I could forget the stress of the internship. That's what they all did. People used alcohol and drugs as a way to forget the hell that was around them every minute of their lives. The ones here could afford it. Even though all of us were born well after The Fall, many still remember the stories our grandparents told us, or the ones our parents had passed down. They spoke of a time of freedom from oppression and the liberty to speak openly. There was no hope anymore, therefore people coped the only way they knew how. Although with each new generation of people, more and more become more conditioned to the Nazi ideals. Less and less remember the times of old and more are picking up what their environment tells them. I guess we all were in a sense. After all it was treason to be anti-fascist, but at least I knew that it was a facade, a terrible, awful facade that made me guilty every day of my life. I was forced to do it or else the rest of my family would be exterminated along with me- just like the millions before me. I wished my life could go back to the parties where people only had shallow conversations and let the beat drown out whatever maelstrom that was happening in their heads. Everyone was slowly suffocating under this Empire. At least then it was easy to keep my mouth shut. Now I had to work with the antichrist himself.

Everyone had congratulated me about the internship. "You are working with one of the most powerful people in the world!" they would praise. Others would tell me all about the amazing jobs that would be available for me after school. I constantly had to convince myself that it was all worth it: putting up with everything that I put up with. There was a reason for it.

I miss when Cassia would share whatever dramas were in her life (or other peoples', for that matter), and I would laugh until my eyes were wet with tears. Now, after the decision to take this internship for the government, I simply did not have as much time as I used to for a social life. It was quite a bummer in my book, and I could feel myself becoming more and more alienated from others.

Instead, I had to work three days a week at the government offices so I could build up my resume. Studying International Relations and Global Business is my passion, and my internship was quite a prestigious one. I could not turn it down. I was working for some of the most prominent people in the Third Reich. I hated it, but I could not say a word. The time of rebellion and the time of uprising had long passed. The Gestapo watched everyone like a hawk, and for being the biggest empire on Earth, the system ran sickeningly well. Many thought that the armies and resources would be drawn too thin and the whole regime would collapse within a decade. That was not the case. The system was stronger than ever. Most of the northern hemisphere was under its control, if not Nazi then Japanese. As much as people hate it, they plug along because it is all they can do. It is easier to just accept everything and work towards getting a good job with a good family as far away from the government's eyes as possible. Causing a stir would be very unwise.

I could remember my father telling me, my brother James, and my sister Victoria all about grandfather's stories of The War. My father was furious, as most people were back then. Grandfather died as a prisoner of war in Dresden. Father would never forget what he fought for, and he made sure to never let us forget. In 1999, father was taken away, and I will never see him again. He burned to death. The thought could make me so angry, but not sad. I had cried enough for him, and tears would not bring him back. So I condensed that sadness into a rage that had been inside me ever since.

I would never forget the force with which the men kicked down the door. Or the way mother screamed when they forcibly grabbed my father from the dining room chair as he was eating his breakfast. They stormed the house like hungry lions and moved with a precision and quickness that made us all shake with fear. When my mother screamed again as three men dragged my father away, another one smacked her across the face with a force that I had never seen before. " _Halt die Schnauze!_ " the man yelled as my father was taken. I was six at the time.

I knew there was no hope for anyone here. The most someone could do when they live in this world is live their life and keep their head in the sand. If you don't anger anyone, then you and the people you love will be okay. That is why I took up the internship with the government. If I could not get rid of it, then I could at least make myself a stronger, more intelligent person. You know what they say, "keep your friends close and your enemies closer." In my mind it was one way that I could stick it to them. I hated them and yet they were letting me in. At least I would get work experience and eventually a fat paycheck out of it.

I decided to light a candle to calm my nerves as I wrapped myself under the blankets in the fetal position, wishing that I could wake up in 1900 before the world got hard. I fell asleep to the sound of a soft drizzle against the window pane.

* * *

"Rhea, wake up! Oh come on, get up now!" I slowly opened my eyes and looked up and saw nothing. It was pitch black. I glanced at the clock. Three thirty in the morning. The candle that I had lit was completely burned out.

I groaned as I turned back over on my stomach. "Cassia, what the hell is wrong with you? I have work tomorrow." I put a pillow over my head to further highlight how I was not going to listen to anyone at this hour.

"You are going to want to hear this though," Cassia urged as she wrenched the pillow from my grasp. She turned the lamp on. My eyes squeezed shut from the harsh light, but I realized that she wouldn't bother me in the middle of the night if it was nothing. Her voice went down to a whisper. "I met a Jewish boy tonight".

My eyes went wide open and I sat up immediately. Shock went all through my body. "You- You what?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"I said that I. Met. A. Jewish. Boy."

"Bu-But how? Did he just flat out tell you?" Nothing could be more dangerous for a Jewish person right now. Most were eradicated. If there are any left, which there always are, one would do best if they kept their mouths shut about it.

"I met him tonight. He was a friend of a friend. We got to talking about philosophical stuff, you know how it goes." My eyes went even wider. You had to be very careful about what you said to people. Political and/or religious talk could be hazardous. Cassia continued, "He got to drinking. And he was drinking and I was drinking and eventually we hooked up." I was too shocked to roll my eyes. "After that we decided to go to the quiet spot on campus. You know, the bench under the cherry trees. It was raining so there was no one there. I don't know if he was too drunk or just trusted me but after an hour of talking he confided in me."

I could barely believe this. "If he wants to survive he must be a lot smarter than that. Do you think he's lying? I mean, I have never known of anyone being Jewish." I kept my voice as low as possible.

"Who on God's green Earth would lie about being Jewish at this time?"

"I have no idea. Who on God's green Earth would tell anyone the truth that they were Jewish?"

Cassia shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe he felt a connection between us?"

My stomach did a backflip and my heart rate picked up. "Do you get what you're saying? This can put you or me or anyone you know in a dangerous position. If anyone of importance finds out about him, we could get killed for not saying anything to anyone about it. We could be labeled and tried as sympathizers."

"Relax, Rhea. No one will find out anything about it. I'm sure as hell not telling anybody, and you won't tell anyone about it. Everything will be fine. If he is still alive he obviously knows how to keep a secret."

"Are you going to see him again?"

Cassia flipped her blonde hair behind her shoulder. "Well of course. I feel bad enough for him. He would probably go insane if the girl he told his biggest secret to just left. He would go on the run."

That nervous feeling at the pit of my stomach intensified. "Are- Are you sure that that is the smartest decision? If he said that so easily to you then he's probably told other people. That could get back to you if he ever gets caught."

"Why would he tell other people that? He only told me because he trusted me."

I looked at Cassia with eyebrows raised. "He decided he could trust you within a matter of three hours and four shots of tequila?" I questioned, thinking the whole situation was unbelievable.

"I guess so! It's what it looks like.  _Nothing_  will get out about this. He probably just needed someone to tell. You know how it is on these universities. Most people are totally fine with Jewish people anyway, they would just never say it out loud. He knew that and just took a risk." Cassia was so confident with her words.

But I still had my doubts. "That's a pretty big risk. Tread lightly, Cass. Tread lightly."

Cassia gave me a look that said 'I know what I'm doing'. I sighed. "I am going to get some sleep, if I can after all of that."

"It will be  _fine_ , Rae. Don't worrying. You worry too much."

"I hope your right," I breathed as I turned over in bed. Cassia shut the light off.

* * *

I barely made the Metro in time. I was running late after stupidly sleeping in a little too much past my alarm. Caffeine was the only thing that was keeping me going. Thank god for chai tea. The run-down doors shut just behind me and grabbed a nearby pole to keep my balance. The train was quiet, no one speaking too loudly. I was one of the only females there, and a few men glanced up at me for a split second before returning to their dreadful newspapers or cigarettes. As the tram neared the city, particles could be seen fluttering through the sky. It looked almost like snow, but it was too warm for snow. Bile rose to the back of my throat as I looked out the window in silent dread. I hated it, and yet I was slowly becoming desensitized to it to my horror. As the tram went underground to signify our entrance into the city, graffiti on the walls of the tunnel flew by the windows. Swastikas and german could be made out. Under these tunnels resistance movements hid even when America's Fall was imminent. All of the old dug out secret passage ways had been destroyed, filled with concrete with people still in them back in the 50's. They either suffocated or died of thirst and hunger. A shiver went down my spine at the thought of it.

Finally I came to my stop. I got out onto the platform and tugged my jacket to my body, keeping the cold out and keeping my head down. Mostly men in business suits bustled about, and even with the large amount of people, barely any words were being spoken. I walked up the stairs to find myself in downtown DC. I put my arm to cover my nose and mouth, gagging at the thought of the human ash flying around. The crematories were still in use just outside of the city. Just another way for the Nazis to strike fear in us. It fell onto my hair and I had to take in small amounts of air through my sleeve to prevent breathing any of it in. Everything had a grey cast to it. The Nazi flags flew on all the buildings, propaganda was everywhere. I walked past a small group of the gestapo, with their rifles strapped to their backs. They snickered when they saw me breathing through my sleeve.

"Look at this Yank bitch!" one of them cried. I picked up my pace to get away from them.

"It's just a little ash!"

I kept my head down and continued on, not making out the rest of their jests.

I rushed into the government building and went through security, showing my internship badge that allowed me to access this area of the building. I walked down the long corridors and saw the large red flags hanging with the swastika. I was so used to it by now. The war was lost in 1946, and I was born in 1993. This world was all I had ever known. I turned down a hallway and went through a door that marked where Hans Kauffmann's office was. The elite Gestapo had me stop and patted me down a little too invasively for my taste. I had been working here for a month, you would think that they wouldn't have to be so aggressive. 'I only have one month to go' I thought wistfully to myself. I did not dare say anything to them. Now that I was cleared into the office, I set my things down on my desk. The rooms that made up the office were huge and ornate. I went to another room and saw that Kauffmann was at his desk viewing paperwork.

"You're late." He said with a thick German accent. All of the people appointed to powerful places in the government were German. The Führer picked them. There was no democracy here.

I did not respond.

Kauffmann sat up and put his arms on his desk. "That's the thing with you Americans. You're always late." I glanced at the clock and noticed that I was only two minutes tardy, but I knew better. The Germans liked to be punctual.

"My apologies, sir. It won't happen again." I thought back to the unnecessarily thorough search conducted by the guards. That took at least two minutes.

"And when the hell will any of you obnoxious, arrogant, Americans learn German. It has been long enough. The only language any of you know how to speak is English," Kauffman said with a bite to his tone. I was used to it.

"Ich versuche zu lernen," I deadpanned.

"Well try harder! Now get out of my sight," he hissed at me.

I was silently happy that I was able to upset him. In this world I had to pick my battles and play it smart.

As I turned to leave the room Kauffman told me in an oddly calm voice, "Warner, do not be late again. There are plenty of other people who would  _kill_  to have this job." His voice dripped with arrogance.

The way he said it sent a chill down my spine. "Yes, sir." I nodded as I made my way out. I could not stand him. Kauffmann was an evil, evil man, and here I was, working for the head of the Nazi party in America. It was enough to make me shove my fist through a wall.

I went back to my desk and looked at the schedule for the day. There were just a bunch of meetings, like usual. I went down the names. They were all German and they were all high ranking officials. My eyes quickly scanned the list, but stopped when I saw an interesting name: an Alfred Jones. That was very strange. Usually there were no meetings with Americans. All of the important, powerful people were German. I looked at the time chart. That meeting was scheduled for 2:15, and it was one that I wanted to listen to.

A few hours later, and I was feeling like I was going to drop from the exhaustion of the day. I was running around getting Kauffmann and his "guests" whatever they so desired. I listened in on how they spoke of anyone not of the Aryan race as if they were dirt on the bottom of one's shoe. The cursed thought of Africa popped into my head and I had to slowly breath in and out to keep from getting sick. It haunted me and I hated when I remembered it. I had to cater to every whim. Again I had to remind myself why I was an intern here to keep from just walking out.

I had listened to conversations. "It seems as though most Jews and other untouchables have been eradicated for the most part," one of Kauffmann's underlings had said.

He put his fist on the table. "I don't want 'for the most part'. I want every single last one of those bastards gone. Their race should be nonexistent. It's been seventy years! How long does it take!? Do you think the Führer would be happy with that?"

Everyone at the conference table responded with a "No sir".

The man spoke out again, "It's just that they are becoming harder and harder to find. They are not all as outspoken as they once were. They are becoming smarter."

Kauffmann sent the man a seething glare. "Are you saying that a simple Jew is outmaneuvering you?" he commented with an icy tone that made my blood run cold. "I don't care how you do it," he said slowly. "All I care is that it gets done. If that means random searches and spies, then so be it! How hard is it to find a fucking Jew?!"

Everyone at the table flinched as he yelled. I was used to it by now. None of them wanted to disappoint him, but I reveled in his anger. Eventually the meeting was over and all of the people who were there filed out.

"You see that, Rhea?" Kauffman had said after they left. He stood up from his chair and slowly ambled towards me. "That is what you must give them. You can never compromise when you are in a position of power. Everything must be done to your satisfaction, or else what is the point of it?" He spoke with a disturbing calmness. His tone was quiet, and he was quite close to me now.

"Have I ever told you why I decided to have you  _Schiess-Ami_  work with me?" His hand reached out to grab my jaw. "It is because you have such a pretty face. It is the only thing you American bitches are good for." He held me in place as he moved his head down to kiss me.

Yet another thing that I was disturbingly growing accustomed to. I would not let myself falter, and I would not look down. I did not respond to his advances. I did not move a muscle and I just looked ahead past his shoulder with a blank stare. I did not want to show any signs of weakness. His free hand moved down to my breast. I felt like screaming, and there was nothing I could do about it. He was one of the most powerful people in the world, perhaps behind only the Führer himself. I could not call for help so I just stood there almost limp, freezing my body in place. I convinced myself to not hurt because of him. I cannot let myself be hurt. . . And then an idea sprang into my mind.

As he started kissing my neck, my gaze never broke as I stared at the wall behind him and spoke with a calm and clear voice, "You know with all of that power you have you would think rounding up the remaining Jewish people would not be all that taxing."

He immediately shot up and backhanded my face. I expected it. I would rather endure a little slap than him violating me, and it worked. He stopped touching me like that, but he did painfully grab my wrist.

Kauffmann then leaned in so that his mouth was mere centimeters away from my ear and whispered, "Power is everything. Fear is what makes a person have the ability to do whatever they please. You are nothing, and you will never be anything. Just like the Jews and the gypsies. Remember that. And don't you  _ever_  try something like that again or you will see Hell on Earth. I may not be able to stop myself next time." He then shoved me away from him as he resumed his work back at his desk.

I wanted to kill him. I stared at him for a few seconds before returning to my desk in the other room. I had to keep convincing myself that I was going to get a job that payed well because of this internship. But at this point I knew that even if I wanted to leave, I would never be able to because Kauffmann wanted me here, and he was in the position of power, as he had always wanted to remind me. I could not try that stunt again without paying for it tenfold, and I shivered at the thought of his threat.

* * *

A knock was heard at the door as the clock read 2:15. My heart pounded as I felt excited to see what lay beyond it. I rushed quickly to go and answer it. As I opened the door, I was shocked by what I found. There were eight armed guards with automatic rifles in their hands. In the middle of the eight, was a man. A very young man, no more than twenty six years old. He had sandy blonde hair and the bluest eyes that I had ever seen. My eyebrows knit together when I noticed blood under his nose and cuts on his cheek. He looked worn and his skin was full of bruises. Why did he need eight armed guards to escort him? Why was he in handcuffs? I was caught staring when another German man interrupted my thoughts.

His voice was loud and precise. "We are here to see Herr Hans Kauffmann." He saluted me and I saluted back. I noticed the young man roll his eyes at the gesture. I concluded that he must be someone who was rebelling against the regime.

"Of course. Right this way." I ushered in the group of people towards Kauffmann's large room. I entered the room and announced to him who was here.

Kauffmann looked up and became highly irritated. "I wish I could just kill you," he muttered to the man, I am assuming Alfred, with venom in his voice. I was shocked at his blunt statement. Besides, if he was one of the most powerful men on Earth, wouldn't it be relatively easy to kill a young guy like this? It certainly would not be the first one.

Alfred looked at him with a glare and responded with, "Ditto. I will celebrate the day that you die and rot in Hell. By the way, I'm afraid your wish can never be granted." There was a deadly smirk on his face.

I was shocked. No one could speak to Kauffmann like that without serious repercussions. Kauffmann looked as though he was about to strangle someone.

"Rhea. Leave." he said with such anger that I hurried away, not wanting to upset him. As I was exiting the office, I looked at the young man and he looked at me. His eyes almost shifted and his angry gaze was replaced with one of deep sorrow. But then it morphed into something else. He looked confused. There was something about his eyes that I couldn't pinpoint. All I knew is that they weren't. . .  _normal_. They were the most vibrant blue eyes I had ever seen, and they seemed to change with complex emotion as if they reflected his soul. I looked at him with a questioning stare in my eyes as I walked out of the room.

I was upset that the meeting was classified because I found myself becoming intrigued by the blonde haired man. It was not often that people just stood up to Kauffmann like that. Never, in fact. And why couldn't Kauffmann kill him? That must be the reason why the meeting was classified and I was not allowed to listen in. There was also the fact that there was an unusually high amount of guards around him. Questions kept pooling into my mind as I was getting increasingly more upset that I could not hear what was being said in the other room. There was also something unsettling about him, but again, I couldn't figure out what it was.

About fifteen minutes later, the doors to Kauffmann's office opened up as the guards escorted the man out. His gaze fell upon me and that confused look on his face reappeared. As he was ushered out, his sight never left mine as his brow furrowed. One of the guards prodded the barrel of his gun against Alfred's back and coaxed a rough, "keep moving," in order to keep him from stopping to look at me. The door slammed shut behind the entourage and I felt a strange feeling in my stomach. His eyes were flat out bizarre. They were so complex and they seemed to say a thousand things. I couldn't stop thinking about how odd they were.

* * *

Although I was exhausted from the day's work, later that night I could not bring myself to fall asleep because I kept thinking about the whole exchange between Kauffmann and Alfred, along with the puzzled expression on his face each time Alfred looked at me.

Cassia had come in at around eleven thirty, which was quite early for her on a Saturday night. She opened the door with such energy and speed that I looked up from my book that I had to read for my French class.

Cassia did not even bother to put her coat or bag down before turning to me with such excitement. "Rae guess who I just came back from seeing?" she urged.

Realization dawned on me and that worried feeling in my stomach had reappeared. "Don't tell me it is who I think it is" I sighed, clearly exasperated with her escapade. When Cassia gave me a knowing smirk, I tilted my head back, trying to refrain from shaking some sense into her. "This is not a good idea at all, Cass. Not one bit. You are putting yourself in danger. Associating with them is suicide."

"No one will ever know. If he ever does get caught, he would never tell them that he told me about his- religious preferences..." She paused. "And besides, no one is going to find out. I haven't heard of them finding Jews in a while. They are not hunting them as frequently as they once were."

"No. They are, Cass. Kauffmann was just telling me about it today. It's just that they are harder to find. But trust me when I say that if the wrong person finds out about this, he and his family will be dead within the day. This is not some little high school secret about who wants to have sex with whom. Lives are at stake."

All of a sudden Cassia became completely enraged. Her eyes hardened and narrowed. "You think that I don't know that?! You think that I believe this is some type of school kid gossip?! I would know. Both of my parents were taken away from me when I was nine. Nine, Rhea! Don't you dare think that I don't know how vicious and cold these people can be. I still cry about it because I always remember the look on my mother's face when she was pried away from Anastasia and I. I could feel both of our worlds going up in flames, and I am still forever scarred from those burns." Her voice then got so quiet it was almost imperceptible. "Do not think that I don't know how serious this is. But if this is my way to stick it to them, by hanging around with a Jew, then so be it." Her eyes were like daggers that bore through my head. I knew her story. I could not imagine how hard it would be to lose both parents.

"I know that you understand the potential consequences," I conceded. "I am just scared for you. I have never been in a situation like this before. I just want you and him to be safe, that's all." If this was her way to give the middle finger to Germany, fine. It wasn't like I was completely blame free. I am working for the Reichskommissar, for crying out loud. I'd just like to think that it was a safer alternative than knowingly being around a Jewish boy.

Cassia calmed down and sat down in the little chair across our small dorm room. "I am old enough to make my own decisions." She breathed in, and calmly said, "Trust me. I can handle this. What good is living when you can't live on the edge sometimes?"

I made a close-lipped smile towards her and decided to drop it. She wasn't my responsibility and it seemed like she had a good grasp on what she was doing. I just hoped that everything would turn out okay.

After about a minute of silence, I asked, "So what's his name?"

"His name is Mat. He changed it from Idan because that one was too Jewish," Cassia said with repulsion. "Damn I hate the Nazis."

I grimaced. "You're preaching to the choir."

* * *

The next Thursday had come to fruition, and I was walking with Cass to the cafeteria between my economics and global markets classes. We decided to sit down outside because the weather wasn't completely horrific yet. There was a light cool breeze that only required a sweater. We sat on a bench overlooking the beautiful structures on campus. It all looked like a castle.

A guy named Nicholas from my global markets class walked by our lunch spot. He stopped to ask me a question. "Hey! Rhea, so for the reading last night we had to focus on the differences between the Scandinavian countries and the Mediterranean ones right?"

"Yep! That was what I focused on," I responded with a smile.

"Thanks! This class is killing my GPA. Professor Ivers is slowly and deliberately ruining my life with that small red pen of his," Nick said with a look of exasperation.

I smiled knowingly. "I am counting the days for this semester to be over."

"Alright see you in hell then! Bye Cassia."

We both waved as he went on his way. Immediately Cass turned to me and gushed, "Why are you two not together? I can see it now: Rhea Warner: world's youngest billionaire, Nicholas Leighton: housewife."

I rolled my eyes and couldn't resist the smile on my face, knowing that she was of course going to bring up my personal life. "I'm too busy for guys, Cass. You know that. I have the Satan internship on top of all these business and IR courses. I really, really don't have time for it."

"You haven't even had a boyfriend! Who are you? You are 21 years old! Get yourself together, woman! I know so many guys who would kill to be with you," Cassia prodded mischievously. She knew I was not the dating type. "You just need to get laid. Maybe then you wouldn't be such a stick in the mud."

I gaped at her. "You know me! I don't need to get laid. Seriously. It doesn't interest me at all right now, and you know that. You are just trying to traumatize me," I said with an air of finality.

"Whatever you say Rae. But when you change your mind, all you have to do is let me know. May I just ask why you are so-"

I stopped listening to her words when I saw multiple men in uniform stalking through the campus, about 100 meters away. They had red, swastika-laden arm bands and were making a bee-line in our direction. My breath caught in my throat, as I am sure everybody's did when faced with five SS coming towards them. Their gazes pierced the air like bullets and their hands were on their rifles. This was not the normal police. This was the elite.

My heart rate increased exponentially. "C-Cass," I stuttered, and motioned behind her shoulder.

She looked back and saw the soldiers. Her voice squeaked. "What are they doing here? They can't be coming towards us, right?"

It definitely looked as though they were coming right for us. I just prayed that they would stalk right past us and carry on with whatever heinous crime against humanity they were bound to commit. One does not often see SS soldiers outside of the television.

The distance between us and them was decreasing and it looked more and more like they were coming towards us with every step. Students hustled away, giving the Nazis a wide berth. No one wanted to be close to those soulless killing machines.

They approached us and suddenly I had the urge to vomit. Cassia was frozen to her position. They stopped right by our table. The fear that I felt was one that I had not felt in a very long time. I could feel the blood draining from my face. There was nothing I could do. I could not run without being gunned down.

The leader stood in a militaristic stance and looked at Cassia. His harsh voice cracked through the air like a whip. "Are you Cassia Davis?"

I looked at Cass, completely petrified. She looked as if she was about to black out. "Ye-Yes," she choked out.

The men immediately left their formation and two of them each grabbed one of her arms. She fidgeted, frozen in shock. "Wha-Why? I did nothing wrong!" she shouted with desperation.

I felt bile rise up in me. This could not be happening. Cassia was being taken away by the SS? Right from campus? A crowd of onlookers started forming quite a distance away from where we stood. Their faces were drained of color as well and many had hands over their mouths in shock. Their eyes were wide.

The leader spoke out again. "You are being taken for having knowledge of a living Jew without reporting it, and for conspiring with said Jew." Those words were said with such a cold iciness that I could barely believe them.

Cassia started to scream. "No! No! You can't do this! You have no proof!" she cried with increasing hysterics. She started writhing and kicking but she was no match for five men of the SS.

I started screaming as well. How could this be happening? "Cass! Cass! No! Where are you taking her?! You can't take her she's in college, you can't come here!" I knew my efforts were futile but my instincts and adrenaline started kicking in. There was nothing I could do. One of them came behind to restrain me. I let out a blood curdling scream, absolutely losing my train of thought. All I could think about was how this couldn't be happening to me again. I couldn't have my best friend taken away from me. Not like this.

"Of course we can do this, you stupid girl" the man spat back. "We can do whatever we damn well please. Siekert, restrain her!" he ordered.

I started kicking as tears flooded my eyes. The soldier wrenched my arms behind my back and put them in handcuffs. A sharp pain went through my wrists because of his aggressiveness. I could not resist. The others did the same to Cassia. They were too strong. He then covered my mouth with an industrial-strength tape. I could only make muffled sounds at this point. I looked around desperately at the bystanders, but I knew that they could not do anything. I wouldn't have done anything if I were in their position.

They dragged me with her. They moved with such a fast precision and they did not care whether we were stumbling or not. His grasp on my upper arm was becoming painful. We were escorted out of campus and no one even made an attempt to stop them. The next thing I knew, we were being shoved into the back of a large military van. I started kicking again. I would not go down without a fight. Cassia was crying hysterically. Two men got in the back with us and one held a syringe. My eyes widened as one of the men held Cass down to the cold metal floor while the other injected the liquid into her arm. In a matter of five seconds, she was out cold. Her convulsing body went limp. My heart was pounding through my chest. The fear that I felt at this time was unlike any I had ever felt in my life. The two men started approaching me and I backed against the wall shaking my head, begging for this nightmare to be over. Instead, the man held me against the wall while the other injected whatever sedative it was into my arm. I fell to the ground and the last thing I saw was the infamous skull that adorned all of the SS uniforms. A few seconds later, the world went black.

* * *

I started to twist on the hard floor, groggy from whatever drug they put in me. I was beginning to come to my senses as the sedative wore off. I looked around at the concrete cell. My heart started pounding in my chest as I remembered what had happened. I could feel a throbbing on my neck and wrists. My shoulders were sore as well since I had been passed out while lying on them while my arms were tied behind my back. As I opened my eyes, the tape from my mouth was ripped from my face quickly and with much force. I screamed from the pain and the act that seemingly came out of nowhere. An SS soldier was standing over me. My whole body ached.

"Aufstehen!" the soldier ordered. I recognized that he was telling me to get up, and I did as best as I could without being able to use my arms. He then grabbed the meat of my bicep and lead me out of the cell.

"Where is Cassia?" I asked in anguish. I looked around at the other cells and could find no movement or signs of people.

The man looked straight ahead and deadpanned with a thick accent, "You will see her soon."

His words gave me very little comfort as the apprehension and nervousness still flowed through my veins. I was directed to a door and we exited the facility. The blinding sunlight made my eyes sting. As soon as I could see clearly, I noticed that I was in Washington DC. The ash was still flying around. I saw the spot where the Capitol Building used to be. There were hoards of people that were oddly quiet. It was disconcerting. As I was herded down the steps of the building, their eyes turned to me. I was confused. What was going on? The silence was eerie and strange. My blood pressure began to rise as I descended the steps. Up ahead my eyes caught a makeshift wall. There were ten SS standing in a line parallel to the wall. I was goaded onto a small platform with two other SS standing on it, rifles in hand.

I looked at the man who had escorted me. "What's going on?"

"Shut up!" the man yelled.

As soon as he spoke, another SS came down the steps with a girl who had tear stains all over her face. I instantly recognized her as Cassia. I was so scared. My breath started coming out unevenly and I had a queasy feeling in my stomach. She was brought down and passed right in front of me. I gave her a look with wide eyes. She looked back at me and shook her head. She was stumbling over her feet. I saw that she had bruises on her face and legs. It didn't take much to deduce that she had been beaten or tortured. She was walking with a limp because of it. I had to resist the urge to scream profanities at this whole ordeal, but I was smarter than that.

She was then put up against that wall. Suddenly, realization dawned over me. The feeling that I was going to throw up was even more pronounced now. Adrenaline started rushing through my veins and my heart was beating out of my chest. The soldier who had taken Cassia outside ripped the tape off of her mouth. She then gave the most gut wrenching scream that I had ever heard. It cracked through the quiet air, and most of the people around had disturbed looks on their faces. It made my heart sink with despair. I couldn't stay quiet.

"Stop! Stop! No! What are you doing! You can't! Please I'm begging-" I screamed at the top of my lungs. One of the SS around me grabbed around my stomach to stop me from moving.

Cassia looked up at me and started trembling. Through her tears she mouthed the words, "It's going to be okay," and looked up to the sky.

A high ranking SS that stood at one end of the line of soldiers yelled, "Bereit!" His voice was harsh, in stark contrast with the people's muted fear. The men readied their weapons with a terrifying precision all at once. Ten guns were staring Cassia in the face.

I screamed again. The soldiers held me back. I writhed to try to break their grasp. They wanted me to watch this like it was some kind of a show. My best friend. Bile rose up in my throat. "No!" I couldn't form any more words. What could I say? I was hysterical now. I took loud and heavy breaths to get air back into my system.

"Ziel!"

The blood rushed to my head. The three soldiers were holding me by now. "Cass, I love you! I lov-"

"Feuer!"

Ten piercing gun shots went off at once as blood sprayed against the white wall and her body went limp and collapsed in on itself. There were startled and horrified gasps from the crowd. They had to watch this. Just like I had to watch it.

I screamed the loudest I had ever screamed before and used all of my strength to kick and writhe out of the grasp of these monstrous hands, to no avail. I vomited, absolutely sick from what I was just forced to witness. The crowd was looking at me with such a sadness. Many ran home as fast as they could. My voice was hoarse and low. I could speak no longer. I was drained of everything that I had. There was nothing I could do, so I glanced back out to the crowd and my eyes met up with the same blue eyes I had seen last Saturday. He stared back at me with a look of great sadness. I couldn't pry my gaze away from his. He just nodded at me with a melancholy look. A wave of confusion came over me again, but I couldn't concentrate on it too much because of the trauma that I was just forced to go through. Against my better judgement, I looked back at the wall and Cassia's lifeless body now had a pool of blood around it. Ash flew around her, landing on her corpse. They didn't even have the decency to clean it up quickly. I could see all sorts of bullet holes that pierced through her clothes and skin. I forced myself to look away as the soldiers dragged me back to the building. I could fight no longer. Hopelessness flooded through my veins. Just like that, Cass, the girl that had gotten me through university, was dead.

Gone.

Vanished.

All I could do now was believe that she was in a better place than where she was. Most places would be better than this.

As soon as I was back in the building, I was sat down and the handcuffs were taken off of me. I was shaking, but I tried to calm myself down. I didn't want to look weak right now to these depraved men. Even though I looked pretty helpless out there, I still wanted to maintain some dignity in here.

Footsteps approached from another hallway. He turned and started walking towards me. My eyes burned with hatred and my hands balled into fists. My teeth clenched. Kauffmann approached me with a sadistic smile playing on his lips.

He came up to me and put his mouth close to my ear again. I had to resist every fiber in my being that told me to attack him. I'm sure that he knew that too, which just gave him even more of a power trip.

"Now see that, Rhea? Fear is what is necessary to run this place so well. Fear is what gets people to do exactly what you want. You are lucky that my spy did not say that you were involved with this whole Jewish thing." His words were laced with an arrogance that made me want to strangle him.

"Sp-Spy?" I choked out. Horror overcame me.

"Of course. That man, Mat was his name? He works for me. I was just seeing who the true sympathizers were. Our dear Cassia never mentioned you to him, so I guess she was a little smarter than we all gave her credit for. I know you would never let a Jew go without telling someone, now would you?" His words were sickeningly sweet. He was waiting for an answer.

I looked him dead in the eye. "No."

"That's a good girl. I am sorry you had to be caught up in this mess. I just needed to show you how vital it is to always question even your closest friends."

I bit the inside of my lip and breathed out unevenly. The Devil was right in front of me, taunting me with that sharp smile that could cut through anyone's heart. I could feel my muscles clenching as I had to use every ounce of my strength not to claw at his throat.

"I am so glad you weren't involved with this Jew-loving nonsense. It would be such a pity to see your pretty face splattered across the concrete."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for clicking on this story! This is just the beginning: a teaser of sorts. I have written over 70,000 words so far and I'm not even close to finishing! I want to start publishing the other chapters soon, and they will come in perhaps a couple months time, when I am deeper into the story. Every chapter will be over 7,000 words! :) I know this first chapter is very OC-centric but the Nations become very involved (obviously-it's a Hetalia fic). POV will switch, and your favorite Hetalia characters will be in here somewhere. This is a sweeping story that takes place in many locations with quite a few storylines. This chapter may be edited in the future as I see fit to reflect plot changes.
> 
> The point of this story is not an "OC falls in love with Nation" type thing. It is about the world and how different people are dealing with/coping/living with and Axis victory during World War II. That being said, I'm not opposed to everything remotely romantic. Some Hetalia relationships will be explored along with a realistic view (or as realistic as you can get when writing about personified nations) of what happens when characters meet and intermingle with each other.
> 
> Please, please feel free to review! I know there isn't a ton going on plot wise as it's just the beginning, but I would love to hear some feedback. :) Also, be sure to follow the story as the next chapter is going to come sometime in the next month or two!


	3. Make Your Move

_Rise to the top of the world, America_

_America don't you cry_  
_Lift me up  
_ _Give me strength to press on_

 _From farmers in the fields_  
_To the tallest of the towers that fall and rise_  
_1-7-7-6_  
_The names upon the list  
_ _For all the ones that gave until they died_

 _Don't you hold back_  
_I can see in your mind, and your mind will set you free_  
_And I feel you close_  
_Feel you close like you wanted me to_  
_Feel you close like you wanted me to  
_ _Believe in you_

 _-Imagine Dragons_ "America"

CHAPTER II: Make Your Move  
-America-

"Arthur, I swear there's something about her." Why couldn't he just believe me for once? I massaged my temple out of aggravation and impatience.

A short chuckle came through the line. It had no mirth. "So you mean to tell me that you saw a girl and you don't know why, how, or what is so special about her, but she just is? And we should drop and risk everything in order to figure out the answers to all these questions? Just because you 'felt' something? Honestly?"

"Uh, yeah!"

"This is a whole new level of stupid for you, Alfred. I thought this. . . Nazi ordeal made you a little more rational." His voice was strained. "I also told you to use this line in case of dire emergencies, so the others don't find out about it."

I guess I was going to have to pull this card. Never thought that I would have to use it, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Wow I hated my life. I let out a breath, knowing that these words went against everything I stood for. Namely, irritating the crap out of England. "I felt magic. I could feel something that was definitely supernatural. Magic."

Arthur choked on the tea he was probably drinking. "Excuse me? What was that?"

I groaned, not wanting to repeat myself. "Magic, okay? I said it. It's the only way I can explain it."

A laugh came through the other line. "I'm writing this conversation down, by the way. This is too good. Alfred F. Jones, admitting to magic? What a truly momentous occasion."

"Hey! I'm not admitting to magic. I'm just saying that it was the only way to explain the vibe I got from her. It was definitely up your alley."

Arthur scoffed. "You know what that is? Admitting to magic." He pointed out in a definitive tone.

"Whatever." I said, clearly dejected.

There was a pause. I just heard his breathing, in and out, in and out. A nervous energy seemed to fill the line. "You are positive? And you are willing to risk it all on this girl?" His voice was serious and I knew he wasn't playing around. Good, finally he believed me.

"Yes. I swear to you there is something about her. Like a destiny or fate or something. I wouldn't be calling you if I wasn't one hundred percent sure. Plus there isn't that much to lose anyway. I need to get her to you so you can work your fake magic and figure this all out. It may be our only way out of this mess."

"I thought we just came to the conclusion that magic wasn't fake-"

"Not the time, Arthur!" I said, raising my voice. He got quiet. "Look, I don't know how much time I have left. I think the question we should be asking is if  _you_  are ready to risk it all."

Arthur paused, and I was nervous with apprehension. A sigh came through the telephone. "I am just desperate enough to try it."

"Good," I replied, letting out a sigh of relief. "It's strange though, she's one of the ones in college."

"Really? She's very lucky."

"Yeah well that depends on who you ask."

England got back to the matter at hand, knowing what I was talking about. "But how are you going to pull this off? You aren't exactly in the most influential of positions after what you've pulled."

"Dude, I have it all figured out. I just need you to be ready at Heathrow tomorrow. She'll be there."

"Have you even spoken to her yet? She will not just come to London willingly, and leave whatever family and life she may have."

"We'll see about that. She had just seen the wrath of the regime in full force. She wants to leave, and if not, I will-  _persuade_  her."

"It's not like England is a safe haven either." Arthur's voice became distant and removed. "They ravaged London. It's a wasteland of its former self."

I closed my eyes, reliving my own nightmares of The Fall in 1946. I still don't know how the Germans managed to pull it off. Everything was leaning my way. The bombs, the casualties. How did they do it?

Arthur snapped me out of my reverie.

"I will be there tomorrow. Good luck, Alfred."

"She will be on that plane. I promise you. Thanks, Iggy. She's the key, I just know it."

He didn't have the heart to chastise me for using that nickname he hated so much. The line went dead.

Well, it's now or never.

-Rhea Warner-

The comfort of the bed in my dorm and the soft tapping of rain on the windowpane gave me no solace after Cassia's death. It had only been two days, but I had to continue going to class. No one could outwardly show me sympathy because the rumors of spies got out and after the death, everyone was being extra careful about what they talked about and with whom. Plus I was sure that many of my peers agreed with the Nazi rationale anyway. Suffice it to say, I did not have the government internship anymore, to my great relief. I would not have been able to work there. Not after what they did to me. Not after what they did to Cass.

The cherry on top of the whole ordeal was that only one person had outwardly expressed their condolences to me: Claus. When I was dragged back to campus by the SS, he was manning the gate with a look of shock on his face. I had made eye contact with him for a half second, my head was hunched over and I probably looked like hell. As I was paraded back in a particularly humiliating way, people just stared at my predicament. After I was left back in my dorm room a couple hours later, someone knocked on my door. It was close to midnight and I new that I wasn't going to be able to sleep. I looked out the peephole and saw it to be Claus. What was he doing? I didn't open the door. "What do you want?" I asked, not caring about my kind facade of self-preservation that I usually wore in front of the Germans.

There was silence and then, "I'm just really sorry. Can you please open the door? I'm worried and thought you would need someone to talk to." He had probably heard by now about what happened, the televisions were no doubt shoving the murder down everyone's throats.

I could feel my entire body heat up with fury. "And what makes you think that I would want to talk to you right now?" I spat out, absolutely livid. Immediately after my insubordination a slight wave of regret came over me. Was he going to punish me for it? If he really wanted in to my room he could just barge in. He was above me, after all. He could hurt me and do unspeakable things and no one would even bat an eyelash, because no one could. I really shouldn't be arguing with him, for my own sake.

Instead of an angry reaction, I could just hear him breathe, "I'm sorry" in a soft voice and then his footsteps walked away from the door. Tears began to flow down my cheeks again as I slid down the door, not understanding how I was going to get through the week.

A few hours later I had to leave the room to go to the bathroom. It was about three in the morning. When I opened my door, I nearly stepped on a bunch of flowers. White anemones, merrybells, and foamflowers were gathered in a makeshift bouquet. I picked them up with disbelief and my conflicting emotions took over once more. I couldn't help but be a bit thankful that Claus had thought of me, but he was still the enemy. I just didn't know what to think about it, so all I did was put the flowers in water. I hated myself when I began to overanalyze.

I had to tell myself to be strong, but it was something easier said than done. I couldn't stop thinking about everything that had unfolded in the past few days. A pit had since grown in my stomach, constantly reminding me of how hopeless everything was. There was no comfort for me. I could only wallow in my feelings alone and not one person could make anything alright. The painful images of her body crashing to the ground made me shake with sadness and fury. Just like that. One word, and my world was shaken again. She was alive and living with such passion and vitality one second, and the next she was a lump of flesh, to never again see the sun's light or the comfort of a warm fire. Her dreams were cruelly taken from her in the prime of her life.

Tears began to fall on the pillow again. I couldn't stop myself from crying. I tried to tell myself to get a grip, as nothing will change the past. I only had so much energy to put on a passable face while going to class. Other than that, I was a wreck. Tears constantly stained my face and my hair was in tangles. Every time I opened my eyes I saw her empty bed, all of her paintings and colorful wall decorations still in tact as though she was only gone for the night. I felt myself wanting to call my mother but she couldn't be reached, as it would be too risky. James had written to me expressing his concern about my mental health, and I had replied that I was doing all right. What more could I say? I couldn't burden him with any of my problems, especially when he wouldn't be able to help me anyway. The letter would be censored too, everything blacked out that the Germans didn't want him to see.

I twisted in bed and my gaze fell upon the candle that filled my room with a scent that was supposed to be calming. It wasn't.

Suddenly there was a tapping on the window, definitely not created by the rain. I jolted upright, alarmed at the noise and the possibility that someone was outside, and approached the window. What I saw shocked me.

In front of me was the same man who was escorted by the eight guards. The same one who made eye contact with me after Cassia's murder. The one whose eyes were unlike any I had ever seen. I stood there looking like a wreck with my red, puffy and tear stained face, gaping and confused. A common trend when confronted by this man.

"Uh- so are you going to let me in?" came his muffled speech through the window.

I snapped out of my trance and went to wipe my eyes, then hurried to open the window. "Ye- yeah, sorry." Even though common street sense told you to not open your door for a strange man, I ignored that in the heat of the moment. Any enemy of Kauffmann's was a friend to me, and something about his demeanor told me he wasn't going to hurt me. Again, another thing I couldn't explain when I was around him.

He hopped into my room, wet from the rain. He was wearing an old school bomber jacket and his hair was damp and falling in all sorts of different directions. He was calm, and he felt powerful. As if he was a point of strength in this hectic and miserable world.

I was speechless.

After noticing my lack of talking, he decided to start explaining himself. "Look, before you freak out, I am not going to kill you or hurt you or anything like that. I just need you to listen to me." His hands were up, showing me that he wasn't making a move for any weapon.

I should have been a lot more frightened than I was, but all I felt was confusion and curiosity. I nodded slowly, urging him to continue.

He spoke clearly. "My name is Alfred. I'm here as a member of the resistance movement. You aren't safe here, and I believe that you can be useful to our efforts. What's your name?"

It finally dawned on me what was happening and I began to speak, shocked at what I was hearing. "My name is Rhea Warner, but just who are you?"

"I'm Alfred Jones..." he pointed out again.

"No, I mean what do you do? I saw you just the other day being escorted by eight guards. You were clearly under lock and key, and now I see you traipsing into my room through the window like it's nobody's business? What's the deal?" Concern etched my face.

Alfred scratched the back of his head and glanced at the floor. "I used to be a relatively high up government employee working at the international level. Things went pretty bad in this regime, so I made a few comments that The Reich didn't take too well. I was then imprisoned."

"Then how are you here right now, talking with me when you were under maximum security?"

Alfred paused for a moment, then shrugged. "I know my way around the jails. Not too hard to find an escape route."

I let out a loud laugh, really how dumb did they think I was? Alfred looked at me with a perplexed expression at my sudden change in attitude. "You expect me to believe that you just waltzed right out of Kauffmann's grasp? With that amount of security? I'd believe that world peace will happen next year more readily than I would that you just broke out of prison as if it were nothing. Do they think I'm stupid? Sending another spy to test my loyalties? What, now do they have enough evidence to kill me?!" The volume of my voice rose and I became gripped with fear again. "Get away from me!"

Alfred started shaking his head and looked at me with wide eyes, desperately trying to calm down the situation. "No no no, I promise you I am not with Kauffmannn." He took a step towards me.

I lurched backwards and held out my hands, thinking only through fear. "Stop! Get away from me! I didn't do anything! I didn't do anything I swear!" My mind rushed to the thought of my weapon in the bag across the room. My arms were shaking and I lost whatever semblance of a grip that I had on my emotions. My heart rate continued to increase, but before I could make it to the door, Alfred reached out and grabbed my wrist. I stopped instantly, my nerves calming down. I couldn't explain it, but his touch made me calm again. It relaxed all my muscles in a scary way. He felt like  _home_. It was the only show of comfort that I had had in the past couple of days.

He then took another step towards me and, still holding my wrist, looked straight into my eyes. There seemed to be a blazing fire within them as I saw flickers of every emotion. It was unreal, and I couldn't stop looking into them. After a few moments he let go of my wrist.

He took a deep breath, as though what he had just done took a lot of energy. "Now do you believe me?"

Against my better judgement, I nodded again. I have no rational explanation for as to why I felt that I could trust him. I just could, and it worried me.

I went over to sit on my bed, absolutely drained from the engagement. "Why are you here? Why me?" I questioned meekly. I motioned for him to sit in the one chair in my room.

Alfred took a seat and gave a me a beaming smile, relieved that I decided to hear him out. That smile was infectious, and I felt the corner of my lips curling up. He was like a cup of hot chocolate in the middle of a blizzard.

Alfred ran a hand through his hair and removed the glasses that he was wearing. His gaze fell upon me again as he began to explain to me what he really wanted. "I can't really explain it, but I feel as though you could truly benefit the cause. You can be a major player in helping bring down this empire. I know you lost your friend, and I know you're angry." He tilted his head towards her empty bed. "There isn't much you can lose-"

"There is still plenty I can lose," I interjected, thinking about my family and my education.

"But this world can be so much better than it is. Can you imagine a place where people are not persecuted for who they are? Where rations are nonexistent and the stores are always full? We have been shrouded under Nazi rule for far too long. This is your calling. You must help us."

I hated the Nazis as much as the next person, and nothing would give me greater joy than to see the whole Empire burn just like it burned London, and DC, and Warsaw, and Moscow, and all of the other places that it ruined. However I didn't think that I was ready to do that. I had a relatively stable life. My family was safe, and that was more than what many people had. "Why would you think it was my calling, what would you want me to do, and who is 'us'?"

"I want you to fly to London. I have a. . . friend there that can help you. He has more resources at his disposal than I do. I think you should do it because I saw how powerless you were against them when your friend had. . ." He paused as he fished for the right word, ". . .died." There really wasn't a right word, was there? As Alfred finished he looked at me with a gaze filled with apprehension and hope. I started choking on my spit.

"What? You can't be serious? Just up and move to London? You're crazy. I thought you were talking about an inside job from the safety of my dorm room!" I exclaimed, shocked at the proposal. Who did he think I was? Some random stranger comes to my dorm and tells me to go to London?

Alfred let out a snort with no mirth. "The 'safety of your dorm room'? Really? Hate to break it to you sweetheart, but there ain't nothing safe about America anymore. You of all people would know. And now, you're under a microscope, a target. Time's up for passive acceptance. We need to fight back. Empires don't last forever. This one's time has come." It started to sound like he was rallying troops or giving some sort of pep talk.

"As if it is so much safer in London?" I shot back with a new vigor. "I heard what had happened there. Forty percent of its population, decimated! Can you imagine? Forty percent! I don't know what planet you live on, but no where is safe. I just chose the place that is closer to my family and my graduate degree."

Alfred sighed and shook his head, looking at me as if I knew nothing. "Engl-" He cut himself off. "Arthur can keep you safer than I can at this moment. As I said, I said some things that the government didn't appreciate."

I stared back at him, incredulous. "What about my family and my job? I just leave all of that to join some resistance group that I know nothing about? You've got to be crazy! I'd be putting them at even more risk."

Alfred straightened up in his seat. "Your family is in danger all of the time, just as every single person is in this country. It is your job to help fix it. Just as soldiers go to war for their country, you have to go to war for me- and, err. . . America."

I couldn't believe what this guy was saying. "So now you are deciding to put the entire fate of a nation on me? No thanks! Someone else can be the hero. I just want to live my life and stay as far away from the government as possible."

"And how well is that going for you?"

I froze on the spot. Anger bubbled up inside of me, and I couldn't hold in my fury at everything that  _they_  had done. "How dare you! You come into my room and insist that I drop everything for some resistance movement that will never work, and then you have the nerve to bring up my best friend who just got  _murdered_  three days ago? I'm not going  _anywhere_  with you," I spat back. This whole situation was completely infuriating. Of course I wanted this regime to be knocked down, but I couldn't just give up the things that were closest to me.

Alfred seemed physically pained when he spoke. "I know what Kauffmannn is planing to do. He is getting more and more reckless. The more time we waste doing nothing, the more people he gets to kill. And it's not just him. So many other leaders feel the same way." His voice changed from serious to pleading in the matter of an instant. "I need you to come with me. You are an intelligent student, going to an elite university. You have fresh anger, rightfully so.  _You_  can make a difference. You are already a target after the ordeal with your friend, might as well help us out. Kauffmannn likes to kill for the fun of it. Makes him feel powerful. The guy totally has a superiority complex." His attempt at a joke flew right past me as I continued to stare in disbelief as Alfred pointlessly tried to convince me to leave. It wasn't happening.

Sensing how I wasn't going to budge, he closed his eyes. "I overheard something while I was captive, and it doesn't look good for you. "

My heart jumped, and I decided that then was a good moment to grab my gun from under the third folded shirt in my drawer. My body was shaking. Alfred was looking off in the distance as I spun around, aiming down the barrel at his head, point blank.

As my quick movement got his attention, he looked at me with knitted eyebrows. He didn't look nearly as scared as I thought he would.

"Tell me everything you heard," I said in a deathly low tone. I tried to steady my shaking hands.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Fear was not an emotion that was in his voice.

"Tell me!" I demanded.

He put both his hands up. "Look, he is planning something big, on you. He isn't going to let you get away with anything. He's going to come after you in a few weeks, right after your fear has died down. You need to leave. Just take this as your way out. Not many get this chance."

"But I didn't do anything wrong!" I screeched, anguish drenching my voice. I gripped the gun with white knuckles.

Did Alfred's pupils almost turn red? He was trying to make me understand, shaking me into comprehension. His composure slipped a bit. "Do you think he cares? He's the same guy who burns babies alive just because they have trisomy twenty one. You're just another drop in the bucket,  _sweetie_. And there are a lot of buckets."

I closed my eyes, wishing this whole exchange was over and that I could just sleep until this nightmare ended. I didn't know what to do. Part of me told me to go to London. I had to go to London, didn't I? I couldn't risk death. If I was somehow the key to getting rid of Nazi rule, I had to do my very best to make that happen. However, most resistance movements in the past went up in flames, literally. Clearly the whole 'keep your head down' mentality wasn't working. Fear nearly paralyzed me at the thought of imminent death. When The Reich has their sights on someone, they don't stop hunting. "How long would I have to stay in London?" My voice was shaking even though I tried my hardest to stay strong. I put the gun down.

Alfred's eyes lit up. "Arthur will see what you can do, and if after he tells you what is going to happen you want to leave, you will be on the first flight back to DC. Promise." He gave me a hopeful, almost pleading smile.

"I don't think I can come back to DC if Kauffmannn's putting a bounty on my head." I let out a deep breath. "I'll do it." I didn't know why I said that. I didn't know how I went along with it, but there was some inexplicable feeling that made me think that this was the right path. Was it because I was in grave danger if I stayed? Maybe. I just silently prayed that I was making the right choice. It was high time I stepped up and did something about the injustices. I was already in peril. We all die, so maybe I can die making a difference. How long did it take? Did I need to see my best friend get murdered to propel me on this path? Maybe. But I had just convinced myself that I will try to take down this system if it is the last thing that I do.

Next thing I knew, Alfred jumped out of his seat like a little kid. The tension from just a few moments ago had evaporated. "Thank you, Rhea. I  _knew_  I could convince you! You're going to love England- and Arthur's house. It's pretty awesome. He's really nice too! Well, as long as you don't make fun of his tea or his funny accent or his-"

"When am I leaving?" I cut him off.

"Tomorrow. You will leave out of Dulles tomorrow at nine in the morning," Alfred said as a matter of fact.

I raised my eyebrows, astonished at how quickly this was happening.

"Don't worry," Alfred was quick to support himself. "Everything is payed for."

I shook my head. "It's not that for which I am worried. It just seems like it is happening so quickly. It's already eleven."

He stood up from the chair and shook his head with that infectious smile on his face. "Things gotta happen fast when you're saving the world and being the hero. Just write some letters to them and I'll mail them to your folks when you leave. And wow, Iggy will love you. You speak almost as uppity as he does."

I shot Alfred a glare. He immediately raised his hands in defense. "Sorry, sorry. Shutting up now. I have to go anyway. A car will be waiting for you on campus tomorrow at 8:15. I will be there as well. Just be ready for then. You can sleep on the flight."

"8:15? Isn't that a little late for a 9:00 flight?"

"Nope! You'll be okay, just trust me on this one, Rae." He then made his way to the window and opened it to climb out. "I will see you in the morning. Get some shut eye while you can." Alfred then gave me a huge grin and waved to me as he exited.

What just happened? So in a matter of fifteen minutes I was going to London, working for a resistance group, and trusting a man that I had never met before? ...And did he just give me a nickname? I guess so. My brain could barely process it. The one good thing about it was that I had forgotten about Cassia and this man had managed to make me smile. Twice. I didn't know what adventure would await me in London, but at this point, I've already seen so much death and evil that maybe a little travel and an uprising would be nice for a change.

I couldn't really sleep because I kept thinking about what would await me in the morning. I told myself that I was doing the right thing, that I could make a change in the world. The candle on my bedside flickered, and suddenly the scent was more calming than it had ever been.

* * *

The next morning I woke up at six am with barely three hours of sleep to hold me together. I had to grab some heavily caffeinated coffee in order to keep my eyes open. I started the process of packing, which was perhaps even harder than deciding that I would go on the damn trip. How much should I pack? I had no idea how long I was staying. I concluded that it was better to overpack then under pack, and made sure to include the pictures I had of my family. Warm clothes, bathroom supplies, makeup, shoes among other items began to fill my suitcase. I packed as much that would fit into the bag. Lastly I made sure to pack my gun. It was my father's. My mother and James wanted me to have it to protect myself in dire situations. Even though guns were outlawed when the Nazis came to power, the Americans had plenty of them to begin with anyway, and my father wasn't giving his up for anyone.

I pulled the solid black gun case out and put it in my main bag between the layers of clothes. I felt a little safer that it would be with me. I had to be stronger now, even more so than I was three days ago. This was war.

At eight I decided to start meandering down towards the entrance where the car would be waiting. As I walked along the path, a couple of students looked at me with confusion. I told one of them that I was going on a trip to London to see a relative. People didn't ask too many questions because they understood that I had been through a lot, and would have needed a break from everything here.

Waiting for me was an expensive large black car. As soon as Alfred caught sight of me he bounded out and went in for the hug. He smelled so comforting, like a crackling fire on a cold night. Again, his touch made me a little more calm about the adventures the next few weeks would bring. "Yay, you're here!" he proclaimed, as if I was going to change my mind.

"I'm not backing out that easily. Shots haven't even been fired yet," I remarked, trying to make use of the lighter mood and crack a joke.

Alfred's smile just got the slightest bit more solemn. "Yeah." He looked up at me. "I promise you'll be safe in England," he reassured me. He wanted me to trust him. The driver then hopped out of the car and put my bag in the trunk. Alfred opened the door to the backseat for me. The car soon started off down the drive, away from the university. An odd feeling came over me that made me feel that when I come back, everything will have changed.

There was a divider between the driver and us that Alfred put up. He then turned to me, a grave expression plagued his features. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. It had a telephone number written in it in a sort of quick style of handwriting. "This is for you, in case you ever find yourself in danger. Call me, and I will send help as quick as I can."

"Okay. . . But if I was in danger across the Atlantic, how could  _you_ help me?"

Alfred put the paper in my hands, and looked at me in the eyes. "Trust me. I will help you."

I nodded once. He was having me put a lot of trust in him that I wasn't sure I was willing to give.

The next thing he pulled out from his pockets was a long simple silver chain with a silver star as the pendant. My brows raised and my eyes widened slightly. A necklace? This guy was really trying to hit it off quickly...

All of a sudden a huge cacophony of raucous laughter came over him. "Oh, Rhea, it's not like that. It's just a little gift to remember me by, that's all."

I instantly blushed at the faux-pas I made and my hasty assumption. I probably looked like an idiot. "Oh, that-that makes sense," I flustered. "Thank you."

There was a lull in the conversation as the car made its way to the airport. I looked out the window to the city of Washington DC, with red, white, and black flags flying all around. I looked over to Alfred, who just shook his head. "I can't believe that they did this to my city. Burned it to the ground," he muttered. All of the government buildings from the old democracy had been destroyed. Every one. The monuments, the museums, even The Capitol was gone. I could have sworn that a glimpse of pure hell washed over his face, but it was gone in an instant. He was obviously concealing his emotions. I decided against asking how exactly he got involved with the resistance. "1946. That was one shitstorm of a year."

I shot him a glance. He spoke as if he were there.

Immediately, a veil flooded over his face and he turned to me with wide eyes. It was a bit disconcerting how polar his emotions were from just a moment ago. "Be careful of the food over there, Rae. It's more deadly than any of the other stuff you're going to go through. Arthur is the  _worst_  cook."

I laughed and he smiled, happy that he was able to get some exuberance out of me. He continued, "And just don't mention his eyebrows. At all. He  _hates_  when people mention his eyebrows."

"Duly noted." I then began to wonder what his eyebrows looked like.

"If he ever says anything bad about me, don't believe him. He's a sore loser."

"What did he lose?" I questioned.

Alfred looked up at me, another flicker of an unreadable emotion (was that amusement?) passed through his face. "A while ago we had a little game of Risk and I won. He's been bitter ever since." Alfred just continued to smile at me while playing with the fur on the same bomber jacket he had worn last night. "But that's Iggy for you. Oh! Also don't call him that unless you don't want to be fed for a week. Well, that actually might be a good thing now that I think about it."

So I may not be fed because of calling him a name? He didn't seem as nice as Alfred was trying to make him out to be. Nevertheless, the stress that I was feeling was melting away. This trip was going to be- exciting. An exciting adventure. Yes.

After a bit more small talk, we pulled into the airport. I looked at the window and was surprised as to what I saw. We were on the tarmac, not the usual drop off area. At least that was what I had remembered. I had only been on an airplane once, flying was quite rare. The car soon pulled up next to a beautiful jet. I gaped at what I was looking at. "How can a resistance group afford this?" I said, motioning to the luxury jet.

One corner of Alfred's lips turned up in amusement. "Like I said, I have my ways, and we aren't just your run-of-the-mill 'let's kill Nazis' group."

Realizing that I wasn't going to get much out of him, I hopped out of the back seat and was suddenly aware at how ill-fit for traveling in this jet I was. I wore sweats, a t-shirt and a hoodie. My dirty blonde hair was pulled up into a bun. "I feel like I should be wearing a dress and heels to fly in this thing. If my mother could see me now!"

Alfred looked down with delight, excited that I was so awed by what was going on. He handed the bag to one of the workers on the plane and they put it up in the cabin. I thought about how insane this situation was. Here I am, from poor student to the only one flying on a $30 million jet. "Aren't we supposed to be keeping our heads down?"

"Rhea, it's called reverse psychology. They are looking for all of the hidden stuff. The people trying to keep their heads down. The more we keep our heads 'up' the more we go undetected! That simple!"

"I hope you're right," I muttered as I started to approach the plane.

"I'm always right!" Alfred replied with exuberance. He then touched my shoulder and signaled for me to stop walking. "Look, don't say anything to anyone, even if they seem to be trustworthy. You are simply going on a vacation to London to meet with a family friend. Don't talk to anyone about it except for Arthur. Do you understand?"

"I hear you loud and clear."

"Good." He then continued walking and lead me up the steps and inside the plane. "He will meet you right when you get off the plane. If he's not there call me. You have the number."

"Sounds good."

"Well you should probably get going now." Alfred came to hug me again. His embrace felt like a home away from home. He then whispered to me, "You are the key. I just know it."

My blood pressure picked up as I comprehended the implications of his statement. I didn't really know this man from anywhere, but I felt a sort of connection with him. He was a source of comfort. "Good bye Alfred. Stay safe now."

He nodded in return and exited the aircraft with a wave. The door shut and the pilot asked if I was ready to leave. A woman was there as a flight attendant to help me get settled in. I sat in a huge, plush leather chair that converted into a bed and looked out the window to see Alfred by the car that took us. I waved out to him and he waved back. The plane started to move towards the runway.

This was it. The point of no return. I was in it now. There was no time to think about what could have been if I stayed. The only thing I could do was accept the future with open arms, and make a difference. I made a command decision that I was going to be tough and strong from here on out. I will win this for us. I will help save the world.

The plane took off in the rain as the flight attendant brought me some water. The flight was going to be eight hours long. I decided that I was going to catch up on some sleep.

* * *

I was awoken by the flight attendant gently tapping on my shoulder. "Miss? Miss?"

I slowly opened my eyes, feeling much more rested than I had previously.

"Here are your immigration forms. Since you are landing in the British territory, you must have your passport complete with the stamp from your chancellery in order to enter the occupied territory."

A wave of panic washed over me like a tidal wave. What passports? I had totally forgotten about passports. I had never been out of America. I went digging through my purse out of desperation. Sure enough Alfred had gotten me a passport. I opened it, incredulous. A picture of me from my high school graduation and a Nazi stamp with the swastika was included. I breathed a sigh of relief. How was he able to do that? And where did he get that picture from? I soon just accepted the fact that there were many things that I did not know about Alfred Jones.

The plane landed and it hit me like a ton of bricks that I was in England. England! I was excited like a kid in a candy store. I never thought that I would be able to travel out of the country like this. It was so difficult to do with The Reich in charge of things. I gathered my carry on items and disembarked the aircraft, anxious as to what I was going to find. The pilot took my bag from under the plane and handed it to me. I expressed my gratitude. My eye then caught sight of a man approaching me, carrying an umbrella. It was pouring. So I guessed that some stereotypes were true.

The man had amazingly green eyes. They were just as inexplicable as Alfred's. Alfred and Arthur seemed to be related in some way, if only because of their eyes. He had blonde hair and thick eyebrows, but they kind of worked for his face. He was a few inches taller than me and he seemed to be about just as old as Alfred, maybe a year or two older.

"Rhea? Rhea Warner?" he questioned.

"That's me! And you're Mr. Arthur Kirkland, correct?"

"Correct." He offered his hand and I shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Warner. You may call me Arthur." He put the large umbrella over both of our heads to shield ourselves from the rain.

"And you may call me Rhea. Or Rae. Alfred decided to start calling me by that nickname."

Arthur gave a slight smile and took my bag. "Typical Alfred. So is this your first time to London?"

"It's my first time out of the country."

Arthur looked out to the distance. "I just wish you could have seen London with all of it's former glory." Soon he snapped out if it and realized that it was probably in bad form to dwell on these issues within the first few minutes of meeting someone.

I decided to change the subject. "Uh, so I have my passport and everything, but I didn't completely fill out the immigration forms because I didn't know what to put under the address that I will be staying at."

"Sod those forms."

I looked at him, perplexed. "Isn't that illegal?"

Arthur chuckled. "You're going to have to get used to doing illegal things. Your entire mindset is illegal; plus I have a little bit of a pull here."

"Alfred seemed to have some connections as well," I reflected.

Arthur smirked at my comment. We soon approached a small kiosk that wasn't busy at all. Arthur showed the officer an identification card of some sort. "Rhea, would you be so kind as to show the gentleman your passport?"

I took the passport from my purse and watched as the officer inspected it. He looked up at me and then back down at the document. He then returned it to me and let me through. I let out a sigh of relief that I didn't know I had been holding.

As soon as we passed the kiosk, Arthur regarded me and said, "Do not say anything during the car ride. I don't know what is bugged anymore. I will ask the questions. Remember: you are here visiting me, a family friend." I nodded, ready to put my espionage skills to their first test.

We approached a huge black limousine with a driver that was waiting for us. He took my bags and put them in the trunk. "We will be going home, Tom" Arthur directed the driver.

"Very good sir." He opened the door for me, and Arthur motioned for me to get in. The car was very luxurious. I had never been in a limo before. The seats went all along the side of the car, and there were a bunch of tiny lights that changed color on the ceiling.

We started driving out of the airport and through the city of London. "The trip to my house will take about an hour and a half, maybe less depending on traffic. I live a bit outside the city."

I nodded in acknowledgement. As the car went into London, I looked out of my window and was appalled by what I saw. It was much worse than DC. Some rubble from the fire bombings back during the war hadn't been cleaned up, even after seventy years. Many buildings sat in ruin, making the whole city look absolutely monstrous. London. This was its fate. There wasn't enough money to fund a cleanup or rebuild, not that the Nazis cared. It wasn't Germany or Berlin. The money was going towards military operations, and straight to Germany. As the car drove past a street corner, I saw a soup kitchen of sorts. Around that, there were at least twenty people sitting on the sidewalks, homeless and poor. Just one street corner! The poverty was evident. This nation, the one that used to be the biggest empire in the world, was crushed. Starving people could be seen everywhere. There was no evidence of anyone trying to ameliorate the situation. The government didn't care. The old tube stations were desolate and crumbling, and there were barely any boats in the river. A sick feeling came over me as I realized that I was the one who just rode on a multimillion dollar jet and is now treading through the ruined city in a beautiful limo. It saddened me, and gave me a feeling of dread that only made my decision to come and help even more sound.

"Damn" I said as I let out a breath.

Arthur glanced back at me with a pained expression on his face that made me want to cry out. In his eyes I could see the full weight of what had happened here. He shut them and breathed in and out, probably trying to forget about the decrepit city. More fuel was added to the fire that was burning inside of me. I would do everything in my power to help these people.

But even if we did succeed, it would take so much money, and so much time to rebuild these places and their economies. We would all be dead by the time that happened.

My eyes glazed over as I tried to think of something else- anything but this awful situation. I pried my gaze from the window and looked to the interior of the vehicle, deciding to focus on Arthur's shoes. I felt sick.

Arthur cleared his throat and I jerked my eyes up towards him. "So how are you liking university?" I could tell that he wanted to get both of our minds off the morbid subject that was our grim reality.

I gave a close-lipped smile. "It's nice. I'm so lucky to be able to go there." I made sure to not say anything that could potentially be misconstrued as being cause for treason.

"What are you studying?"

"International Relations and Global Business. I also enjoy taking French."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Why French of all languages?"

I giggled to myself. "So British people  _don't_  like the French! That's kind of funny."

Arthur gave me a half smile and looked down at his hands. "It's not that they all don't like the French. I just have a particular prejudice. In my experience, he- they can be quite rude and overly flamboyant for my taste."

"Ah" I said as I nodded my head. "Wait, so you know someone who is French?"

"Eh. . . yes" he hesitated, recognizing his misstep. "I know one that is quite arrogant and particularly insufferable."

"Hmm." I said. "I've never been to Paris. I would love to see the Eiffel Tower".

"Well maybe you will be able to go in the future. Just, without me." He had a small smile on his face.

"Yes, that would be quite lovely, I think. But maybe if you came along, you would have a better experience?" I posed.

"Perhaps."

* * *

After a long and relatively quiet ride, the limo turned off onto a private drive.

"We're here" Arthur announced.

I looked out and couldn't believe what I saw. The home was enormous. We circled around a large fountain, and then the car came to a complete stop on the tree-lined driveway. Arthur got out of the limousine and held the door as he directed his hand towards the mansion. I got out, completely awestruck. I had never seen a home so big in my entire life.

Noticing my amazed expression, Arthur half-smiled, seemingly happy with my reaction.

"Please come." He said as he motioned for me to follow him.

I gasped. "Wait, so where do you work again?" I couldn't comprehend where he could have gotten the money. There was a massive amount of acreage as there were no homes around as far as the eye could see. The driver carried my bags as Arthur escorted me into the house.

"I hope you will find the accommodations to be satisfactory," he said with the slightest tinge of arrogance, while avoiding my question.

I let it slide because honestly, I would probably be a tad smug if I owned this place. I let out a breath filled with disbelief. "I was living in a cubicle at college. Almost anything is a step up."

As I was ushered into the entry way, a grand staircase made of dark wood overwhelmed my vision. It broke off in two segments, one leading to the west wing while the other lead to the east wing. A large marble table was in the entry and a magnificent vase of flowers sat atop it. Roses of orange and white calla lilies were arranged in an opulent fashion. To my right and left I could already see a myriad of hallways and rooms that lead to other parts of the house. Old world detail was added to the decor as tapestries and paintings adorned the walls. A grand crystal chandelier was directly overhead. "Woah," I whispered. The house (if you could even call it that) from the outside looked grand, but the inside showed a true regality that was indescribable.

Arthur then turned to the driver. "You may set Miss Warner's possessions right there. You are free to go. Thank you, Tom." The driver gave a nod and then proceeded to leave. As the door shut behind him, I looked over to Arthur. A wave of excitement and giddiness took over that I couldn't help despite the morbid situation.

"Welcome to your new home, Rhea."


	4. The Garden of Thorns

 

_I'm up in the woods, I'm down on my mind_  
_I'm building a still, to slow down time._  
_I'm lost in the world, I'm down on my mind_  
_I'm new in the city, and I'm down for the night_

_Run from the lights, run from the night,_  
_Run for your life_

_Who will survive in America?_

-Kanye West & Bon Iver  _Lost In the World_

CHAPTER III: The Garden of Thorns  
-Rhea Warner-

I was still marveling at the room I was staying in. Arthur had helped me get settled in and showed me everything I needed to know. He also gave me a quick tour of the house, leaving out certain chunks because that would have been all too tedious.

My room was on the second floor just off the main entrance and had high ceilings. There were paintings on them that made it look like it should be in the palace at Versailles. Four huge bedposts framed the bed, and I had a beautiful view of the gardens below. It felt positively regal. There was a lovely but simple desk, and a large closet. There were a few gold accents that decorated the walls. Candelabras were attached to the wall and another crystal chandelier was situated above. I had to sit down on the cushioned bench that was right under the window sill to take in what was happening to me. Somehow all of this opulence made me more sanguine in the operations to come. A sort of self confidence was growing in me, reinforcing my decision to leave.

My thoughts then raced back to my family. I hoped against all hope that they would continue to remain safe. Even though I'd been apart from them for a long time, they were family, and I didn't want to lose any of them the way I lost my father.

I decided to change into something a bit more presentable. After all, walking around wearing sweats in a place like this made me feel terribly out of place. I opted for a simple blue day dress that went down to just above my knees and put a sweater over top. I then put on my favorite pair of fuzzy socks to wear around the somewhat cool house. I had to start getting comfortable, it may be a while.

I went to the bathroom to get freshened up after the long plane ride. All of the counter tops were made with marble, there was a huge bath tub, and there were even heated floors! Heated floors. Excitement welled in me again. Luxuries anywhere near the ones this house had were so rare in this world. For the most part, the people of German high command were the only ones rich enough for this.

Arthur had told me to get settled in, and then meet him downstairs so we could discuss things. I exited the room and navigated the house like it was a maze until I found the room with Arthur in it. He was sitting on a chair, quietly sipping a cup of tea while going over paperwork.

"It must get lonely here."

Arthur looked up at me. "You get used to it," he said as he put the papers down and got up from his chair. "Would you like some tea? I have a feeling that you have a few questions for me, as I have a few questions for you."

I nodded. More than a few, but I didn't know how many he would (or could) answer.

"Are you hungry?" He added quickly.

"Oh no, I'm fine."

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Did Alfred tell you-"

"No" I cut him off. "I'm just jet lagged." I didn't want to offend Arthur within my first day of knowing him. That wouldn't bode well for future "business partners"- if you could call it that.

Arthur didn't completely buy my excuse, but he decided to let it slide. He motioned towards the furniture. "Please, make yourself comfortable. Would you like cream or sugar?"

"Just a little bit of cream," I answered as I sat down on a sofa opposite where he had been sitting. Something about him was just off. Granted, things could be awkward when having a visitor you've never met before. But still... his sentences felt a little forced? Maybe that was it. I don't know. I couldn't think too much about it before he put a teacup down on the glass coffee table. "So it's safe to talk in here?"

"Yes, in this house you are welcome to speak freely. Everywhere else, you must be very careful."

I looked around at the room we were in, trying to find any hidden cameras or objects that would contradict what Arthur said. Books lined one of the walls and there was a large crackling fire in the fireplace. I found nothing out of the ordinary, so I decided to start the conversation off lightly. "So you must have inherited this place," I observed. The old world charm was evident and the place had clearly been built for a long time. He would have never been able to get half the resources that were in the house now-a-days.

"Yes, you can say that."

"No servants or anything?" I joked a bit cynically.

"They come once a week to tidy the place up, and more frequently if I am having some guests." Arthur put down his tea and looked me right in the eyes. "Do you mind if I'm a bit candid?"

Anxiousness came over me. "Of course not," I reassured, mostly trying to reassure myself.

"Why exactly are you here? What made you decide to risk your life for this?"

My answer came surprisingly easy. "My life is already at risk, and a big target was on my back. If I stayed in America I would be put in a very dangerous position. I witnessed my best friend die in a public execution as if it were some sort of show, and my father was taken away from me." I paused and breathed in and out in order to maintain my composure and keep my emotions in check. I absently moved my fingers around the rim of the teacup. "If my grandfather could put his life on the line fighting for the Allies, then I can too. We all die anyway. Some sooner, some later, but we all die."

"Yes..." Arthur drawled out.

"So you work for the government then, just like Alfred?"

Arthur brushed a hand through his hair. "I do. Things are a bit tedious though. I don't have as much power as I used to."

"Oh" I conceded, realizing that I wasn't going to get much more than that. "So what's the plan? How will we make this whole 'let's take over the government' thing a reality?"

"There are still many things we have to work through. For right now we are going to have to lay low and formulate some type of plan." Arthur sat back and became transfixed by the fire.

There was a lull in the conversation.

I decided to break the silence. "Do you think we will ever win?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. After a few moments he responded. "Yes, I believe we will. It might take a long time, but if there is anything I've learned in regards to history, it is that empires rise and fall. This will be no exception. Even so, I don't think the world will ever be as it once was." His expression was melancholy and his bright green eyes dulled for a second.

I decided to veer away from this topic of conversation because I knew that it was just going to depress me. "So does it get lonely here all by yourself?"

Arthur looked at me with a sort of coldness to his face. "What makes you think that I'm always by myself?"

I looked at him, as if the answer was obvious. "Um, maybe because you're the only one here? Wait, you're the only one here, right? Alfred didn't tell me that there would be anyone else."

He chuckled, his harsh demeanor easing ever so slightly. "Yes, I'm the only one here. Before the-" He cut himself off sharply. "I used to have lots of people stay at the house," Arthur continued. I saw him glance at my teacup.

"Hmm" I wasn't going to press the conversation further. Whatever secrets Alfred and Arthur had would have to be pondered over another day. My tea had cooled down a bit so I decided to take a sip. Arthur took a glimpse at me and then quickly turned his attention back to the fire. I put the cup down, suddenly feeling a bit awkward because I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to bring up the hardships of life in England because Arthur obviously had some deep-seeded feelings on the subject, and I didn't want to bring up unsavory memories. I also didn't want to keep pressing with useless small talk because it was just an attempt to mask said awkwardness. A thought popped into my-my head. . . Wait, what was I thinking about? I squeezed my eyes shut and when I opened them, the world around me was hazy. Comprehension came over me like a breeze on a beach. "Did- Did you. . ." My head started getting heavy as I tried to keep my eyes open. I was too out of it to be shocked. ". . .drug me?" I couldn't hold out any longer as I folded in on myself, falling sideways, my head laying on the couch. I opened my eyes one last time to see Arthur rushing over to me. Alarm was not evident on his face. Darkness then overcame my vision as whatever he put in my drink affected my system.

* * *

When I came to, I was in my bedroom. The curtains were open to let in the last light of day. I checked the clock, and it read 15:45. What happened? I didn't remember going to sleep, so how did I get here? A slight bought of anxiousness creeped in my stomach. I had never been so unaware of going to sleep. Think, Rhea. What happened? I was talking with Arthur, and then... the tea! Oh it was the tea! My anxiousness then turned to fear. Why was I drugged? Was this really a setup the whole time? I shoved the blankets off of me and ran to my suitcase across the room to get my gun. I did not sign up for this.

"Where are you going so fast?" a voice came from the corner of the room.

I instinctively jumped at the sound and realized that Arthur was sitting on one of the chairs in the oversized room. He curled his lips up in amusement. That angered me. My fear was gone and I quickly stalked over to him. Common sense was out the window.

" _You,_ " I said with a tone that was fierce with rage. As soon as I was near him I instinctively (and stupidly) raised my hand to hit him. With the fastest motion I had ever seen, he easily grabbed my wrist to stop the swing. My face was full of shock.

His same arrogant smile was still irritatingly on his face. As rationality came back into my mind, I realized that I wasn't going to win this fight.

"You drugged me!" I yelled and my voice cracked. "You're trying to kill me!"

Arthur just crossed his arms and with smugness he simply said, "Trust me, if I wanted you dead, you would be dead."

Dread flowed through my veins as my worst fears had just been confirmed. My breath hitched in my throat. "So you are with them," I squeaked out.

He shook his head. "Nonsense. Killing the Führer is still number one on my list of things to do."

"So why in the hell did you drug me?"

"Dear god, I didn't drug you." Arthur was still sitting on the chair with the same air of nonchalance.

"Excuse me but did you miss the part where I just blacked out on your couch?" I balked, incredulous. This guy was seriously going to tell me that I didn't black out? Did he think I was an idiot?

Arthur just sighed. "There is a rare ingredient in the tea from China. About point five percent of the population have a reaction to it."

I opened my mouth, dumbfounded. "So you mean to tell me that you give weird tea to all your guests just to see if they react to it? By passing out?! Sorry if I'm not buying it! Even if that's true, then what the hell is wrong with you!?"

"Calm down, love. I don't give it to everyone. I just thought it would be interesting to try it on you. Please tell me what would be the point of me drugging you for an hour and then you waking up, unharmed."

I stepped back, my argument was losing steam. "Oh come on! You're psychotic for testing something like that for your own amusement." I was uncomfortable as fear still lingered in my system. My eyes darted to the door.

Arthur saw the movement in my eyes and stood up from the seat, his face becoming serious. "I'm sorry. It was stupid of me to do."

I narrowed my eyes at his change in demeanor. "Really? Are you  _really_  sorry?" I asked, not believing that he actually was.

Arthur's eyes flickered with an unknown emotion. "Yes. I promise you, there was no ill intent."

What could I do? There really was no way out of the situation. I was in the hands of Arthur. What was I going to do? Run away? In a foreign country, with no legal papers that said I was allowed to be here? I probably wouldn't even be able to find the front door. I bit the inside of my lip. I thought to the gun in my suitcase. If one more thing happened to me he was going to pay the price.

The jet lag was starting to kick in. I pointed towards the door. "Leave," I demanded, my voice lethal.

* * *

A couple of days later, not much had changed. I went downstairs, ate my meals, and made small talk with Arthur. The good thing was nothing questionable happened. He still couldn't disclose much. I didn't want to complain at this point anyway because I was getting free room and board.

One night when I wasn't particularly tired, I decided to go exploring. The house intrigued me, and I couldn't trust Arthur yet. It was like a maze of different corridors and rooms, all decorated with beautiful rugs and paintings.

It was late at night at about 12:30 am and I was sure that Arthur was in bed. He was always up earlier than me so he was probably one of those people who went to sleep at ten. I took a candle from my room and put my slippers on and a robe over my pajamas. I opened my bedroom door into the hallway. The corridor was dark, but there were small candles on the wall that kept it from being completely pitch black. As soon as I stepped outside, my foot caught on the rug and I almost fell. I internally screamed at myself for being so clumsy.

My bedroom was in the east wing, so I decided to go exploring in the west wing. I reached the main grand staircase and continued on to the other part of the house. I then turned right down a corridor at the end of the wing. I was in a part of the house that Arthur had not shown me. At the end of the corridor was a door. The door looked a lot different from the other doors in the house. It had two iron bars shaped like an X that crossed in front of it. I approached the door and reached down to open it.

Locked.

"Of course," I muttered to myself. Then I immediately wondered if what I was doing was wrong. I felt as though I was snooping around. But what was there to hide? I was only looking at rooms. Plus, Arthur drugged me, giving me a pass to be suspicious and make sure there wasn't some weird torture room somewhere.

I turned around back up the corridor and retraced my steps. At the entrance, I decided to go downstairs to check out the ground floor. A couple hallways later, I came across a door that was slightly propped open. I slowly went inside, curiosity overcoming me. I gasped at the immensity of the room. It was a library. Shelves upon shelves of books were stacked all along the walls. A large window was on the opposite wall. I stopped at a section of books and started reading the spines. I gasped. Some of them were so old. I pulled a book out that was by someone called Cædmon. I was shocked to find that it was in some sort of Old Norse or Old English that I couldn't understand. The pages were yellow and fragile with age. I held it as delicately as I could for fear of ruining the thing.

So many books to be read for pleasure were banned. Owning books that in anyway the Nazi party felt put them in danger was illegal. I figured that at least half of the library was against the law.

I moved along, trying to find a book that was interesting and one that I understood. Books such as  _World War I: The Home Front_ was certainly illegal. No one could read anything like that from an Englishman's perspective. I gravitated to it, intrigue making my heart race. It was a real account, not some government-contrived propaganda. I would take that one back to my room.

As I scanned more shelves I came across an even older book and reached up to get it. It was titled,  _The Pirate Henry Every: The True Account of His Expeditions and Treasures._ The year of publication was 1695. It seemed like the book could have actually been that old. I set that one out. I could read it in my spare time as well.

As my eyes surfed through that section, one book stood out in particular.  _Arthur Kirkland and His Conquests at Sea_ was embossed on the front in some sort of gold type. The coincidence was a little uncanny. A pirate had the same name as Arthur. I opened the book and it didn't have any publication information, but again it looked quite old. My eyes fell upon a neat script that was written in faded black ink at the bottom of the inside cover. It read:

_My gift to you, Arthur.  
_ _May you remember these days long after I am dead and gone._

A signature was written after the note, but I couldn't make out the name. The whole letter was quite peculiar. When this was written, Arthur would definitely not have been born-

"Having fun?"

I jumped and gasped as I slammed the book shut in my hands, my heart racing. Arthur was in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

After the fright subsided, worry, fear, and embarrassment came over me. "I thought that I was being quiet."

Arthur laughed. "For you Americans quiet means shouting at a slightly lower level of volume than usual."

I gave him a look but couldn't really defend myself. It seemed as though Arthur wasn't sleeping. He still had the same button-up with rolled sleeves that he wore earlier and he looked as though he had been working late into the night.

He entered the library and asked, "What in the world are you looking at?" He took the book from my hands and he raised an eyebrow.

I took a step back, wary of him. He could sense my worry and sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you."

I ignored him, my voice a little shaky. "I thought that it was interesting that there was a pirate with your same exact name. There was also a message written in it that is 'to Arthur'. It's a strange coincidence don't you think?"

Arthur put the book back on the shelf. "Yes, it always intrigued me that he had the same name as me."

"The letter was also pretty strange. It made reference to remembering the events long after the death of someone. Almost as though the person was going to live a lot longer than the writer of the note."

"I always thought that quite peculiar." Arthur said, turning to me. That was all he seemed to know about it. I was half expecting an elaborate story of how the book came to Arthur's possession, but I got no such thing.

I turned back to explore all of the different books. "This library is amazing," I said, awestruck. My fear was going away as the threat of immediate danger subsided, but there was still a hint of worry in the back of my mind. "There's everything from the British Empire to old superstitious writings from the Dark Ages. These all must be illegal."

Arthur merely looked at me in response, his face was void of emotion but his emerald eyes gave off a slight flicker of joy because of my curiosity.

Pages upon pages of history that no one was supposed to know. So much was right in this room. "I want to read the story about Arthur Kirkland, the pirate," I stated as a matter of fact.

Arthur looked down at his shoes and gave an (almost) humble blush. That was a refreshing change of character. "There's other more interesting stories though. The one that I would read if I were you is this one about the pirate Benjamin Hornigold. He had a massive warship and taught Black Beard." Arthur pulled the book out and gave it to me.

Again it was fairly old, with a dark red cover and silver type. I nodded, happy with the recommendation. "Thank you. This whole room is amazing. I never thought I would see so many books everywhere."

Arthur simply smiled in acknowledgement.

A yawn came as sleep was overtaking me and I decided to go back to my room. "Well I'm getting tired so I think I'm going to head to bed. Thanks again for letting me borrow the book."

"Have a good night."

I ignored him, feeling only the slightest bit guilty as I walked out of the room, leaving Arthur alone with the collection of thousands of books.

* * *

The next morning we sat together at breakfast. The scones that were served weren't bad at all. I made a mental note to tell Alfred the next time I saw him, which reminded me of something. I set down the tea that I was sipping. (It took me nearly two days after the incident to drink anything, and I was forced into it after I started feeling light headed and dehydrated. Arthur had payed me no mind in regards to my "drinking strike" and passively mocked me, to my chagrin.) I was starting to get more acclimated to him, yet the worry in the back of my mind was still there.

"Will I see Alfred again? Is there a reason he isn't with us?" I questioned. Arthur looked up at me with an unreadable expression. I honestly didn't know what to think of him.

"Most likely. And yes, Alfred was much more. . ." he paused, contemplating which word to choose, ". . .vocal than the Nazis would have liked. There are many more restrictions placed upon him than there are upon me."

I nodded, wondering what Alfred would have said to anger the Nazis. "If you don't mind me asking, why did they never kill him? When I interned with Kauffmann he seemed as though he was going to wring Alfred's neck. Not a lot of people can do that to Kauffmann without severe punishment."

"They want him alive," Arthur reasoned. "He is a valuable resource to your country and he has a lot of knowledge in regards to-" another pause, "-international relations."

"Ah," I maintained.

Arthur held a newspaper and was skimming through it with hard eyes. He had told me that they never accurately portrayed life in Britain as it was. It was just propaganda. It was the same in America. Life was clearly different than what was written on the pages of that paper. Thoroughly disgusted, Arthur folded it up and slapped it on the table.

"Why do you read it?" I asked.

"What?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Why do you read the paper if it upsets you?"

Arthur put his fingers to his temples and started massaging his head. Something had come over him that made him very disturbed. "Honestly, I don't know. Perhaps it's just because the newspaper resembles some strand of normalcy. You know, before the war everyone read the papers. Then the war happened and the stories got more frightening and more frightening but they were some form of comfort because at least there were still people who were writing all those stories and you knew that the war was still far away from you because those people were still writing. But then the world turned into fire and the writing stopped. And then it started again but it was full of German and Nazism and 'Heil Hitler'." Arthur looked me in the eyes and tilted his head. "Even though the stories are awful fabrications, just the simple pages that still continue to come every morning even through this Reich are an appearance of the way it was back then. Before everything I loved was burned and destroyed." He let out a breath and anguish was clearly visible. The silence was painful. I didn't know what to say to that, but I wasn't going to let this one slide like I had the other times.

"You speak as though you were there when the War happened."

Instead of looking at me, Arthur focused on looking at the table. "I've heard stories," was all he said.

I finally understood that not talking about anything deep was going to get us nowhere. We were in this nightmare, and our way out was not going to be easy. I was foolish to have ever though that. Arthur and I had to talk about everything that was going on. In order to fix the bad we had to talk about it. The vagueness and incomplete thoughts were getting me nowhere in understanding the situation I was in. It was time to take action and stop slumping around sleeping the days away and doing nothing. I was here for a reason.

I pushed my chair out from under the table and looked out the window. "It doesn't look like it's going to rain any time soon. I think it would be nice to take a walk in the gardens and talk. I haven't seen them yet and it would be a good time to get some fresh air. I'll go get jacket." Without waiting for a response, I went to my room immediately so he couldn't argue with me.

When I came back down, I was happy to see that Arthur was ready for our walk. He was sporting a black peacoat and a small smile, despite the particularly saddening conversation just a few minutes ago. He started walking to one of the doors that lead to the garden. "I suppose that there was no use arguing with you about that."

"You're right" I said, pleased with my assertiveness.

He lead me out to the gardens. Of course they were amazing. I was expecting some pretty nice gardens if the house was any indication, but again my preconceived notions were blown out of the water. Mazes upon mazes of flowers and fountains stretched on and on. Trees and greenery were everywhere. I felt as though I was in  _The Secret Garden_ , which was a book that my father had given to me when I was young.

I decided to start the conversation off, tired of being kept in the dark about what was happening. "So where exactly are we in regards to our whole 'topple the most powerful empire in the world' scheme?"

Arthur just looked at me with a cold expression and sighed, not falling for my sad attempt at comedy. It was typical. "Well, it seems as though you would be useful to us after all. For whatever reason Alfred had an eye on you to become part of this and he wanted me to make sure that you would be the right person for the job. You are. So, the next thing that I must do is make contact with a friend of mine in Norway. He can give us a lot of help when it comes to our situation. It's just that he's part of a 'cult,' so to speak, and his 'friends' are all psychotic and insufferable, especially when together."

"Well that doesn't bode well," I said, raising my eyebrows.

"Yes well I'm afraid we don't have much of a choice," Arthur said as he kicked a rock on the ground.

A chilly wind picked up and I crossed my arms to maintain some heat. My head was swimming. It was one of those moments where I couldn't believe that I was where I was. I wondered if my family was doing okay. It really hit me just how  _alone_  I was. Sure, I was with Arthur and he seemed nice enough (minus the whole drug scenario), but I still didn't know him that well at all. In fact, I knew next to nothing about his past. I just knew that he worked for the government. I could feel tears prickling the back of my eyes, but I didn't know why I felt them. I was feeling overwhelmed by my situation. I willed them back and internally scolded myself. I wasn't even in danger! In fact, I was living pretty high on the hog. More comfortable than I was back at my dorm in DC.

"I want to help the people," I blurted out. "I can't just stay here while we are waiting for things to happen and do nothing. I came to London to make a difference, and that is exactly what I intend to do."

Arthur stopped walking and looked at me quizzically. I could never read what was truly going on in his head. He had a fairly emotionless exterior, the only times I could see any sense of feeling were with those weird flickers in his eyes.

He gave a snort of disbelief. "And how do you plan on helping the people?"

I ran a hand through my long hair. "Well, you must have such a large amount of money, we could definitely make a difference here. Just give donations or something. Money talks." Instantly after I said that, I felt a little bad for talking so bluntly about his money. It was his after all. I had no right to just decide what to do with it, but I still couldn't stand being useless in this whole project either. "-I mean, if you're up for it. It's totally up to you."

Arthur let out a short laugh with no mirth. "But there is nothing to buy. Food shortages are abundant. The problems with London are enormous. We could never even make a dent in fixing things. Besides, we can't overstep our bounds too much because the government will sniff us out. I can't be charged with anything. I am already under too big of a microscope."

My mind raced with ways to help. "I know we can't fix everything. But we can help individuals at a time. Even if we only help one person it's still changing a life." An idea came over me. "I'm a business major. I can make a plan. Simple. Small amounts of money that can give a few people incentive and hope. Anything. Please." I was begging at this point.

"I'll tell you what. If you can give me a decent business plan making the most of five thousand pounds, I will let you implement it." He then looked me straight in the eye, a grave look being put on his face to let me know that he was not messing around. "I want my- these- people to be rescued more than anyone on this Earth, I swear that to you. It's just that I must play my cards right." Arthur then gave a barely perceptible shudder. "I have lost too much to lose the Nazi's trust."

I didn't want to think about what Arthur meant when he said that he had lost too much.

"Thank you! I promise that I can help."

"I hope you're right."

* * *

That evening after dinner, I worked for hours to form a model that made the most out of the money Arthur allotted to me. It was kind of hard though since I wasn't exactly starting a business. I was just trying to figure out the most efficient way to help the biggest quantity of people. Water wasn't the issue. It was food. There weres food shortages everywhere in Britain. So, the key was to hit the source. Encourage people who had farms. Give them small loans so they can start selling food to people. But then that leads to the inherent poverty of the people. Employment was key. Small businesses, people that sold things with relatively cheap costs for resources were important. They could hire one or two skilled workers. I just needed to find people with enough money and give them incentive to start hiring.

My head was spinning as I was trying to figure out every which way that I could make the best out of the situation. Dealing with economics on such a small scale was a fairly difficult task. Knowing that I wasn't going to make that much of a difference was even worse. If there isn't a constant movement of money, even if hundreds of thousands of dollars are given to many people, it would eventually run out. I was trying to play government even though I was in no way the government.

Frustration started eating away at me. Why did everything have to be this difficult? As I pondered new ways to stimulate something, anything, hoping that a miracle would inexplicably appear, my mind drifted back to Arthur.

He was nice enough, but he had a cold demeanor that I knew was hiding something. He obviously had some pretty deep emotions balled up in there. It was only a matter of time before the bomb explodes. It was also odd how he made weird references to times in history, especially during the war. He must have been pretty invested in pre-war history.

I groaned as bags grew under my eyes. Fatigue was growing on me and I decided that I had enough of a plan to somehow get it through to Arthur. I could make it sound good for him. I had to.

-England-

"Yes, I'm sure!" He could be so grating sometimes. He acted as though I couldn't handle myself.

"So what was weird about it?" Norway asked over the phone.

"Well," I began, "she definitely tested out. Magic is involved with her. The trick is figuring out how, why, and for what purpose. It seems as though she knows nothing about magic, so it must not be affecting her. I can't see how that will be much use to us. What good are traces of magic when the user can't even sense anything supernatural?"

The other end of the line was quiet. Of course, generally Norway wasn't the one to speak unless it was necessary. I continued, "One thing happened that was very odd, however. The elixir worked perfectly and she reacted to it, but when she woke up, she remembered everything that had happened. She remembered that it was the tea that made her pass out. I've never heard of that happening before."

"Hmm," Norway drawled out. "That is strange. I will need to see her in person to test her."

I sighed, exasperated. "And how exactly do you propose we do that? We can't exactly walk out of here without Ludwig and the entire Reich breathing down our backs. Alfred sending one plane isn't too bad, but they will start to suspect something if we are constantly flying in and out." I subconsciously threaded my fingers through my hair, wishing that a simple solution would appear out of thin air.

"We could smuggle her. We can't take planes; at this point it's too risky. They will also know if you are gone. She can take one of the ferries. Less suspicion would be drawn."

"There won't be any way that I could get the proper stamps that she would need though."

"Arthur, that's the point of  _smuggling_."

I looked out the window. It had started to rain again. I put my fingers on the bridge of my nose, willing the headache to go away. "I'lll think about it, Norway."

"Does she know anything about- us?"

"Of course not!" I proclaimed, as if it were obvious. "It's never a good idea to tell humans about us unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Hey, you're preaching to the choir. I was simply curious, that's all," Norway defended.

"Alright well I will get back to you as soon as I can with a course of action. I am going to head to bed. Goodnight, Norway. Stay safe."

"You as well" was all I heard and then the line went dead.

-Rhea Warner-

The next morning when I woke up, I was uncharacteristically nervous about talking to Arthur about my plans. It was just Arthur, but there was this sensation in my head that desperately wanted to impress him. So far I had felt pretty useless, just sleeping and eating. I wanted to prove that I could do this. I wasn't just some liability or someone who couldn't take care of themselves. I didn't go to a great school, and I didn't suffer through that internship for nothing. I was worth something in this mess.

As I walked into the breakfast room, a plate of food was left out for me. Arthur was still waiting for me though. He looked up at me and raised an eyebrow. "You slept in. Did you stay up late?"

I probably looked like a mess. My eyes were baggy and dark, and I barely got any sleep. "Yes, I did. But I think I have a couple ideas to be a little more helpful in this whole process." Energy came to me as I began to present my ideas. I was passionate about it, and for all the work I did, I was proud of what I came up with.

I explained how we could invest twenty percent of the money to a local farm that could hire workers. They could produce food for more people that way. Then using the majority of the money we could donate it to select people and families that still have chances of working. That way they could have more financial stability and get a job. The other ten percent can be used to set up some sort of food bank. But, to keep things running, we could "hire" people to start small clean up projects within the city and pay them with food. Once the system becomes a bit more stable, money can be added. We would also take donations from the people who still have money left. I'm sure they would give a lot to see prosperity in their city.

I had more to say, but Arthur interjected. "That sounds perfect. You may have twenty thousand pounds."

My mouth dropped open. Was he serious? I didn't even finish what I was going to say, and he ended up giving me more money. I soon realized that Arthur was probably going to say yes to me even if I had a worse plan. If the car ride to the house was any indication, he was deeply hurt by the status of London.

"Oh my god, thank you, thank you!" I ran up and practically hugged him. Arthur visibly cringed at the contact and cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the proximity.

I just pulled away with a smile still on my face.

After Arthur composed himself, he flashed a close lipped smile and said, "No, Rhea. Thank you. London needs people like you." The look on his face was one I couldn't explain. There was some strength there, as though my ideas had given him something to fight for.

* * *

Arthur and I were in the limo heading into London. An air of dread was palpable in the car. It was as if we were going straight into the lion's mouth. The ride was marred with silence as I took in the wreck of the city. As we neared our destination, my confidence spiked. I was here to help these people.

"Thank you for coming with me," I told Arthur.

Arthur simply looked at me. "I'm here in case anything goes wrong. With poverty comes anger," he explained bleakly.

As we got out of the car, everything was gray. The buildings, the air, the people: all gray. My black riding boots crunched on the broken glass that was once from a window decades ago. People looked at us with a hardness in their eyes, many with disdain. The walk was like a death march, my lungs constricting at the horrid mess.

The gray was interrupted by the sounds of boots marching down the street. Arthur and I turned around to see a sea of brown uniforms; they were not as neat as the sharp lines of the SS. No, these were the SA. The Storm Troopers. They were good to deal with "easy" problems. If the SA were like thugs then the SS were like trained assassins.

The handfuls of people in the street quickly moved to the sidewalks and then stood frozen in time, blank expressions on everyone's faces. Then it came. I began to hear the cheers as more people followed the brown uniforms. The horde was coming towards us. Suddenly those blank expressions turned monstrous; savage and barbaric. The SA could come after you for blinking the wrong way. I saw it before: they beelined towards a man and attacked him and his pregnant wife because they didn't look "Aryan" enough. They weren't even Jewish or dark-skinned. The child died in the womb and she was unable to have any children thereafter. Luckily, they weren't shot dead, or worse. Fear ruled stronger than anything. A horrified form of amazement gripped me as I saw the change in personality of all the onlookers. Their ragged forms stood a little taller, and as the parade came close they threw their fists in the air and screamed and howled like they did in Ancient Rome when watching the gladiators.

A chill ran down my spine as I saw what was happening. A young woman and man were being unceremoniously dragged down the street. I could only tell that the one was a woman because of the skirt she was wearing. Her face was black and blue, cuts and bruises all over, same with the man. Saliva was dripping from her mouth as she hung limply, still holding on to whatever life she had left. Her brown hair was pulled out in chunks with large pieces missing and her skirt and shirt were torn. She was probably raped. Both of their legs were dragging across the concrete, broken glass slicing their skin. The man had no shirt on, and was in similar shape to the woman.

The people on the street raised their poor, miserable heads and shouted, whatever they had to do to survive. Even through the commotion I could hear my heart beating and Arthur's heavy breathing beside me. As soon as the entourage began to pass us, automatically we stood tall, arm up in salute. Every single one on the street. I didn't dare do anything different. Arthur did the same. My face was unmoving, my eyes looking straight ahead, unable to look at the victims any longer.

They passed and I released my rigid stance.

"I wonder what that's about," Arthur questioned aloud with an odd waver to his voice. Sadness, anger, hopelessness all coursed through us. I don't think he really wanted to know the answer.

An old woman overheard us. "Haven't you heard?" She wore a scarf over her head and had arthritis so bad that she could barely move. "It's been in the papers for a few days now."

I snuck a glance at Arthur, knowing how he reads the paper every morning.

"The poor girl didn't respond to the officer's flirting. He said she would regret it. I don't think he was wrong." She shook her head, a sparkle in her eye. I couldn't tell if it was tears waiting to fall or something else entirely. "That man was her boyfriend, tried to defend her, he did. Bad idea."

I nodded in response, not trusting in my ability to speak safely. "Heil Himmler," was all she said with a salute and walked away.

Suddenly the fading sound of the boots and the raucousness halted. The raving bystanders gave a wide berth and stood on the sidewalks as the bodies they were dragging were dropped to the ground. They had no energy to even hold themselves up.

"Get up!" one of them screamed. I twitched at the sound that cracked through the silence. Arthur was watching on, his thick eyebrows knit together, watching the evil unfold.

Neither of them moved, so another one of the SA grabbed the woman by the hair and pulled her up on her knees. Her head lurched back dangerously, as if she had no energy to support it. In a quick but awkward motion- not even close to the skill you would find of the SS- a pistol was pulled and aiming at her head, point blank. I didn't know if the woman could see it with her face swelled that bad. My body tightened as I jerked to face Arthur, unable to watch. Arthur's eyes remained set on the scene that was unfolding.

The gunshot went off and I jumped, squeezing my eyes shut. Arthur stood stock still, with only a slight twitch in his hand. An inhuman scream came from the man as he watched his lover die. Not soon after did a second shot go off.

By the time I turned around again, the bodies were still there even though the Storm Troopers had continued down the street. Blood pooled and slid down the road, oozing with an unmistakable shine.

"Let's go," Arthur broke the silence monotonously as he put his arm around my shoulder. There was no emotion in the gesture as we paced hurriedly down the street.

* * *

"So this is it," Arthur deadpanned as we approached a ruined building. There was still some shelter from the elements, but it looked completely dysfunctional. "I know it's not much, but we have to make do." I nodded and set about planning where things were going to go in my head. It was simple. We would only need a kitchen and a counter, keep things easy.

"We can hire a couple people to help clear out the space and install a makeshift counter. It doesn't have to be fancy," I noted, half out loud. I breathed out. "This could work!" I was mostly trying to convince myself.

After we were done surveying the spot, we headed back outside. People glared at us. A man on the side of the street aggressively kicked a rock towards me. Arthur immediately put himself between me and him, putting his hand on the back of my neck to usher me on. I felt no fear, I only felt profound sorrow for that man, and all the other people on these streets. He was no threat to me.

A few steps later, a thought came over me. I swiftly turned and headed for the man. Arthur tried to grab me, but I continued on, out of his reach.

"What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" he hissed under his breath.

"He won't hurt me," I replied with conviction. I didn't know that for sure but I  _felt_  it. As much as I loved acting on facts, being rational, I went against it at this moment. It was probably stupid, but I did it anyway.

I approached the man and his face hardened. He was in his mid thirties, but he had worn features from living outdoors for a period of time. His face was gaunt and the bones in his hands were protruding from malnourishment. I crouched down to his level and looked at him with confidence. "How would you like a job?" It must have been strange for a twenty one year old woman speaking about employing an older man, but now was not the time for pride. It was the time for result.

"Stop fucking with me," he retorted with ice in his eyes. "You won't do jack shit for me." He then spat on the ground next to me.

By this time Arthur had come next to me and stood in a defensive, almost militaristic position. He glowered at the man, daring him to make a move.

I kept my equanimity, unflinching from his vicious demeanor. "I will pay you five pounds an hour to help clear out that building right over there." I pointed towards the place we came from. "I promise you."

The man sneered at me. "Why would you do that for me? This is a joke."

"I can very much assure you that this is not a joke. I would do it for you because this city needs someone and something to get back on its feet. I am willing to give you a chance. If you and two others can clear out the rubble from that building by Monday, I will pay you one hundred sixty pounds. I swear it. I will check back every day, and if I don't come, you can leave."

The man seemed to think about it, suspicion still in his eyes. "Fine. I'll do it."

I gave him a small smile. "It's not desperation. It's work," I insisted. I then extended my hand. Out of my peripheral I saw Arthur shift ever so slightly. The man hesitantly shook my hand and I felt the weakness of his body.

As I got up to leave he let out a quiet "thank you." I turned towards him and nodded in response. I knew I made the right decision.

Arthur and I made our way back to the car after easily hiring two more people to work by clearing out the building. As we got settled in the back, I couldn't help myself when I spoke.

"You know, I can handle myself out there in the world," I said with a slightly patronizing grin.

Arthur's eyes turned cold and he scowled at me. "I'm learning more and more about you every day. A recently discovered characteristic is that you can act impulsively and stupidly as though you are untouchable here. Just like Alfred." His words were sharp, but I didn't let them phase me. I was truly grateful for his protection, although I wasn't sure how much it would help against a horde of angry Londoners.

I just chuckled. "Nevertheless I was happy you were there. You're like my insurance policy."

Arthur rolled his eyes, the bite in his tone gone. "Glad to know I'm like a piece of paper to you."

* * *

A week and a half had gone by since I had left DC. Alfred said that as soon as Arthur told me what was going to happen, I could decide to leave. Honestly, I wasn't ready to leave quite yet. Starting my project in the city had consumed a lot of my time, and I couldn't leave these people now. I could hold out for a bit longer.

By now the building had been cleared out and food was being made there for meals twice a day. So far we only had enough food for about one hundred people or so, but donations had started to come. Most of them were anonymous, not wanting to get involved with whatever political fallout being part of a soup kitchen might entail. Nevertheless, it was more than I had expected to receive within the first month.

We started paying small farmers to provide food for us. I wanted to start running an employment office too, so people could register and look for work. The response I had gotten from all of this was massive, and only in a few days! Lines had started to form, and sadly we were sold out of food before we could feed everyone. Nonetheless, the project was helping people, and that was all I really wanted. Arthur seemed to be the slightest bit happier with me around, especially now that I was helping the people from his home. He was also probably very lonely in this house without anyone to confide in, and clearly he had some deep emotional issues that I couldn't even come close to comprehending. Still, something very small had changed in him. In the mornings he was a bit happier; solemn, but he smiled more. There was a nagging feeling in my chest that I had to stay for his own mental health.

It was a Friday morning at about eleven and I had just calculated the business expenditures for the project. Everything was running smoothly so far, which made me a little more giddy than usual.

As I was debating how I would go about expanding, there was a strong knock on the door that I could hear from my silent room. I barely had time to think about who it could be before Arthur rushed to my doorway and told me to hide. He was in my room fairly fast and shoved my suitcase and some of my belongings under the bed. Uneasiness came over me as he rushed over to a couple panels in the wall, pushed them in and slid them over.

"Quickly!" he breathed, motioning for me to go into the small space that was behind the wall.

"Wh-" I couldn't even finish my thought before Arthur's hand swiftly came over to shut my mouth. He put his finger to his mouth, signaling to be quiet.

Worry came over my face, but I trusted him. He closed the panels, encasing me in darkness. I could just barely see through the crack between them.

I could then hear Arthur rush out and the faint sound of his shoes on the wooden floors. He then opened the door, which I strained to hear. The sounds were faint, but my room was relatively close to the front door.

The voice of a man came through as he said "Heil Himmler!" in a strong and authoritative voice. He was clearly German. Arthur gave a noticeably less enthusiastic "Heil Himmler" in return. Who was this man? My anxiety went through the roof. Arthur didn't want whoever it was to know that I was here.

"What are you doing here?" came Arthur's voice. He spoke with a flat tone.

The unidentified man cleared his throat. "So England, I'll get straight to the point. I hear that you have a little lady-friend who is helping out the locals." His voice was harsh and it came down like a hammer. It was almost void of emotion and I couldn't sense any anger or disappointment. My body instantly tensed. He was talking about  _me_. I instinctually held my breath to try to catch every word that was being spoken.

"I didn't realize that it was illegal to do a little charity work for the starving people of  _my_  city, Ludwig," Arthur spat. He was clearly aggravated. But why was he called England? That was some strange nickname.

The air around me started to get warm as the cramped space that I was in became stuffy. Questions soared around in my mind. Really, who was I dealing with here?

A short laugh was let out. "No, there is nothing particularly wrong with that," Ludwig said in an almost mocking tone. "...it's just that we have to be careful about things. A red flag is drawn when you're involved."

Arthur let out a sigh. "I'm just trying to help my people," he said exasperatedly.

Footsteps then sounded as I realized that they were walking into another area of the house to talk. The last words that I got were, "And I just want to know who she is, that's all. Beings like us don't speak to humans all too often."

The steps and voices became more muffled and I couldn't make out what was being said anymore. I just had to wait.

Minutes started to pass and my discomfort was growing. I was standing in the same position and there was no room to sit. I got a cramp in my leg that was particularly unpleasant. How much longer was that guy going to be here for? On top of all that my curiosity was peaked. What did that man want with me? He was clearly German, but why did he not want Arthur involved with the food bank? Nothing made sense so I decided not to dwell on and make assumptions about things that I knew nothing about.

About fifteen minutes later, Arthur had finally walked in and opened the panels to lead me out. Ludwig had left.

"We need to talk," was all he said as he lead me downstairs and into the opulent living room. I was extremely inquisitive about the whole ordeal. Maybe at least some of my questions would be answered.

Arthur sat me down in the luxurious chair and his face was expressionless. "That was a-" he paused, "...person that I have known for a long time. He's skeptical about you and me. It's more that he is concerned as to why I am involved with you. I had an extremely powerful position in the British government and I still carry some weight, so my association with you is something that troubles him. If you were partners with really anyone else he wouldn't of thought twice."

I nodded. "Well what are we going to do then?" I wondered. There was no way that I was just going to fold over like that.

"Rhea, you need to understand. Both of us are in an extremely precarious situation. This cannot be taken lightly. He has more power over me than I would ever have liked. Thank God he didn't realize you were here with me. I want to make a difference, but we have to find a balance so The Reich isn't breathing down our necks, and right now, they are concerned." He shifted in his seat, looking the slightest bit uncomfortable. "You must remember why we are here. You have a bigger purpose. It is not about feeding one hundred people, it's about saving hundreds of millions. I can't risk anything." His voice had the precision of a blade. He was confident in his words just like a military commander had to be confident with his risky strategic decisions.

My heart sunk. I didn't want to end operations, not right after they had started! There must be another way. "So are we shutting down? Giving people hope and then ripping it from their grasp?" My voice rose with frustration. I wasn't mad at Arthur, I understood that we were playing with fire. I shuddered as I thought back to Cassia, the anguish coming back to me as the image of her death flashed through my mind. I didn't want a repeat.

A sideways smile crept on Arthur's lips. "I'm not that stupid. I knew that they would grow wary, but I couldn't resist not helping my people."

My eyes narrowed. "You sound as if you were the ruler of The United Kingdom," I addressed skeptically. This time I wasn't going to ignore his interesting choice of words.

Arthur's mouth opened as if to speak, and then closed again. Finally, he said, "I have strong connections to these people. Like I said, I was high up in the British government. I still am." His eyes fixed on me with a sort of strength that I had never seen. I didn't want to press the matter anymore. It was stupid of me to bring it up anyway. He was obviously someone of importance.

"As I was saying," Arthur continued, exaggerating my interruption, "I knew that Ludwig would come and test the waters. We will not stop our operations in London. I just hope you're good at acting." He smirked but I could see that hint of discomfort back in his eyes.

I tilted my head, realizing that I was going to have to put my undercover skills to the test again. "...Why do you say that?" I spoke with hesitation.

Arthur sighed and divulged, "I-I told him that we were romantically involved." He spoke the words fast as if they were fire to his lips. He was worried about my reaction, but he seemed uneasy about the prospect as well.

My brow furrowed and shock came over me as I never expected that to come out of his mouth. "And how exactly would that get the Nazi's off our backs?" I asked slowly. Arthur's motives became unclear to me again. This made absolutely no sense, and it was weirding me out.

Arthur was quick to a defensive tone, probably expecting my reaction. "Look, Rhea, I just need you to trust me. For people like me, it's an excuse. It is a reason to be close to you. I don't usually get a lot of traffic around here, so a good explanation is that I like you. He will still have his doubts, but I think we can sell it."

"Sell it where, and how exactly?" I questioned. For whatever reason, I was okay with what Arthur was asking me to do. As I remembered Cassia, I reminded myself again just how terrible these people were. If that meant playing dirty, I was in. I didn't have that much to lose anyway.

Arthur sighed, and his expression turned to one of displeasure. "There is this Gala that he invited me to, I can't say no. It would be  _tremendously_  unwise for me to not go, as it would make my motives look even more suspicious. Many of the most powerful people in The Reich will be there. I must go because of my position." Arthur's expression turned to one of disdain. "Honestly it's just a way for them to rub salt in the wound, but we have to pretend that everything is just fine."

My interest was peaked and I raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me,  _we_?"

"In order to keep our cover, you must be with me. Ludwig explicitly told me that he wanted you to go. He is testing our cover. You must understand, I can't refuse him." His words carried a sort of weight to them.

Understanding the lack of freedom under Nazi control, I nodded in understanding. "Well then I guess it's off to a Nazi Gala we go!" I exclaimed in mock excitement. At least I was used to dealing with high-ranking officials. This was going to be interesting.


	5. The Taste of Chocolate

 

_Your eyes tell the stories of a day you wish you could_   
_Recall the moments that once have_   
_Retract the footsteps that brought us to this favor_   
_I wouldn't ask this of you._

_Good eye, sniper_   
_Here I'll shoot, you run_   
_The words you scribbled on the walls_   
_With the loss of friends you didn't have_   
_I'll call you when the time is right_   
_Are you in? Or are you out?_   
_For them all to know the end of us all._

_Run quick, they're behind us!_   
_Didn't think we'd ever make it_   
_This close to safety in one piece_   
_Now you wanna kill me in the act of what could maybe_   
_Save us from sleep and what we are._

_Bye bye beautiful_   
_Don't bother to write_   
_Disturbed by your words_

_-Coheed and Cambria_ "A Favor House Atlantic"

Chapter IV: The Taste of Chocolate  
-Rhea Warner-

As much as I felt unafraid the days before the Gala, now that I was on my way there I was terrified. What was I doing here? I was way out of my league with all of this stuff. I didn't know how well I could keep up with this lie that we formulated. Arthur tried to comfort me as much as he possibly could, given that it is Arthur we're talking about. He could sense the nervous tension that was radiating from me, but the whole empathy thing was clearly not his forté. He had spent the past couple of days preparing me for what was to come. He told me to act clueless, like I was on cloud nine. He also told me to follow his lead. He seemed to be completely at ease, despite the paralyzing situation. I couldn't screw this up. His life and mine were on the line.

The Gala was a formal affair, to commemorate the death of Hitler. I felt sick that I even had to pretend to celebrate him. The day before, Arthur had given me a designer dress to wear. The party was going to be a pretty classy affair, and I didn't have a ball gown. It was an exquisite backless dress that reflected the light. It pooled all the way down to the floor like molten silver. I argued with Arthur about the dress because of how expensive it was, (really the price could probably feed a starving Londoner for at least six months) but he insisted upon it. He had said that it was necessary for appearances and to not worry about it. We had a show to put on after all. There wasn't much I could do, as the dress was already there, payed for and all.

Now that we were traveling to the venue, my nervous energy was increasing. I absently played with the star necklace that Alfred had given me, finding the slightest bit of comfort in it. Arthur was tapping his fingers on the side of the door.

The car stopped and a guard opened the trunk to make sure there was no security threat. Soon enough we were cleared and the car started moving again. A nauseous feeling in my stomach came as we rolled up. I gasped when I saw where we were: Westminster Abbey. This really was some huge affair. The driver opened the door for us and I got out, followed by Arthur. I drew in a sharp breath of air at the sheer beauty of the building.

Arthur gave a sort of angered huff under his breath, livid that this building was being used for such vile purposes. Soon after he composed himself, he linked his arm around mine.

"You are ready," he stated. It was not a question. I nodded and he lead me in. His eyes were cold and he was focused on the job at hand: convincing these people that I was no threat.

I suppressed the feeling of despair in the pit of my stomach and forced myself to give out an air of confidence that could rival a movie star's. I was going to act and I was going to convince everyone that I was in love with The Reich, even myself. As we walked into the entrance, I couldn't help but notice the beauty of the interior. Ornate paintings lined the walls and rows of columns made the building grandiose. However further in the walls were marred with swastikas and flags. 'Boy do they love their symbols,' I thought to myself. A man at the door raised his hand in the Nazi salute. "Heil Himmler" he exclaimed with zealous fervor. Arthur and I both responded with the salute. A woman then took our coats and we had to go through a metal detector.

I had to feign confidence. I was on top of the world, right? Although it didn't do much for my situation, I tried to gather every ounce of self-assurance I could muster. I was strong and I could do this.

Within the first ten minutes of being there, a man turned to look at us and then strode over. He was clearly a military man, with every medal you could possibly think of attached to his blazer. His blonde hair was slicked back and as he approached his face was serious, as if on a mission.

"Ah! Arthur, I am happy that you could make it," a voice said in the harsh German tongue. I instantly recognized it as Ludwig's. He was the man who was over at the house. He turned to face me. "And this must be your lady-friend, Miss Warner." He took my hand and kissed it, and I let out an easy smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. . .?" I waited for him to tell me his name, as I wasn't supposed to know it yet.

"Reichsmarschall Ludwig Beilschmidt," he stated, completing the sentence. I was taken aback by how high of a rank he was. Arthur wasn't messing around when it came to his German "friends".

"It is an honor to be in the presence of such a high ranking and well respected member of the German military," I marveled.

He just gave a slight smile. "So you are American?" he questioned.

"Yes, in fact I was born and raised in Chicago. I came to London for work and then I met Arthur." I looked up at Arthur with a glowing smile on my face. He returned the gesture. I had practiced my backstory many times before. In the heat of the moment, I planted a small kiss on Arthur's cheek and giggled showing how positively in love I was with him. I could do this, and by god was I going to sell it to these bastards.

"Interesting. So Arthur tells me that you are involved with charity work?"

"Yes. I think it's important to help the needy inhabitants of London. It's such a shame to see these people that could support The Reich have their talents be wasted. I wanted to help, and Arthur agreed with me."

Ludwig gave an emotionless nod. "Of course. That  _is_  such a noble cause." He eyed Arthur with a skeptical look. "I will direct you two to my table," he continued. He then looked over to Arthur. "I made sure to have you there, since we have been such good friends throughout the years."

Arthur simply nodded and said, "Yes. How wonderful." I could swear that I heard the faintest hint of sarcasm in his voice. I wondered if Ludwig noticed it as well.

I plastered on a carefree smile. "It's a privilege to be able to sit by such a prominent figure such as yourself. Thank you." I bowed my head slightly.

Ludwig lead us over to an extravagant table. Unlike the other round ones, this was one was very long, with chairs on each side. A few people were sitting and speaking, however most were mulling around the party space. Servers with champagne flutes whisked about, making sure that everyone had a glass. Arthur and I took one as we stopped at our table.

"I am sitting here," Ludwig addressed, pointing to a seat towards the center of the table. "Miss Warner can sit right here..." he then motioned to the seat right next to his, "...and Arthur you can sit on the other side of her."

The butterflies in my stomach fluttered when I heard that. I did not want to sit next to him at all. Arthur knew this and didn't want to risk having me say something wrong.

Arthur put on a smile and chuckled. "Ludwig, you'd probably bore her to tears with all of your military talk. It would be nice if the two of us could catch up. Whatever were you up to in Romania?"

Ludwig just clapped Arthur on the back, ignoring his question. "Nonsense Arthur! We speak very often. I would love to get to know Miss Warner, she seems so enjoyable." Although his words were jovial, his eyes were hard and serious.

"Very well," was all Arthur said in response.

Preparing myself for the long dinner to come, I bubbled, "Please, call me Rhea." Ludwig nodded.

Hors d'oeuvres began to fly around: small toasts with caviar on top, lamb with a blueberry sauce, skewers of meatballs with pine nuts, among others. I had never had caviar before. People couldn't get a hold of these luxuries at home. Rations hadn't stopped since The War ended. I tried them all even though I didn't have much of an appetite.

Finally Ludwig had left us alone to greet other guests. Arthur glanced up. "Shit" he said under his breath.

"What?" I asked in alarm, trying to look around to see what he was worried about.

"Don't look around. Look at me. Gilbert's here. Great. That's just bloody fantastic."

"Who's Gilbert?" I questioned, concern wrought on my face.

Keeping his expression genial for the people at the banquet, he continued eating the caviar. "He's Ludwig's brother. He is the most obnoxious and arrogant prat you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting," Arthur confided.

I nodded, realizing that I was the bait in a tank full of sharks. I forced myself again to stay composed. It was going to be okay. I was going to be fine.

As I looked up from the meatball that I was practically forcing myself to eat, my breath caught in my throat. All of a sudden enough air was not getting into my lungs. I felt the weight of the whole room compress onto my shoulders.

 _He_  was coming towards us. His gait was strong and ruthless, his face precise and cold, like that of a statue. The red armband was around his bicep. Arthur immediately sensed my trepidation and put a gentle hand around my waist, pulling me in. He was reminding me what I was here for.

The nerves were still there, annoyingly prevalent, but I had to do this and I knew that I could. Ludwig reached out an arm. "Mein Führer, this is Miss Warner," he introduced. I imagined that Ludwig was doing this as a test to see my reaction. He still didn't know what he was looking for when it came to me.

Staring at me was the Führer himself. I recognized him from the newspapers and magazines. He was tall and foreboding, but I put on the best smile that I could.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Warner." He took my hand and kissed it, as custom.

"Words cannot express how amazed I am to be in the presence of the most powerful man in the world. Truly, I am honored," I said with as much conviction as I could muster. But no matter how hard I tried inside I felt like I was drowning, trying to claw to the surface.

He just laughed a patronizing laugh and then turned to Arthur. "So Mr. Kirkland, you found quite a catch with this one, ja? She's so stunning, it's hard to believe she's American."

His blatant lack of respect did not go unnoticed by me. My nerves were on fire as I thought how this man was the key to Nazi Germany. This man is my target, and I wanted to kill him in the most painful way possible.

Arthur put on a close-lipped smile. "Yes sir, she is a special one."

The Führer nodded with extreme arrogance. "You're little Abbey looks nice with the flags, don't you think?"

I felt the most imperceptible shift in Arthur's stance. "Yes, they're quite a lovely addition. Those paintings never really looked good anyway." There was more pressure on my waist as Arthur got infuriated by his smugness.

The Führer just narrowed his eyes and let out a small "hmmph," perhaps a little amused at Arthur's lack of power.

"Well I do think it's time to eat then." He smiled and showed his teeth the way a dog shows its teeth when it is ready to strike.

He then clinked his glass, silencing the room. "I would like to invite you all to take your seats, as dinner is about to be served. We commemorate this day in tribute to the man who founded the greatest empire on Earth! Adolf Hitler made Germany strong again. I want all of you to raise your glasses in salute to the most powerful conqueror the world has ever seen!"

A thunderous applause erupted from the enormous crowd, and all of our glasses went up. I felt sick to my stomach during the whole procedure as many "Heil Hitler's" were being said. After, we migrated to the table and I sat next to Ludwig. Courses were brought out to us, starting with a salad with figs and walnuts.

"So what did you do over in America? Did you have a job or...?" Ludwig trailed off, urging me on.

I swallowed a bite of salad and thought about what I could and couldn't say. "I went to university in Washington DC studying international relations and global business. I also had an internship with Herr Kauffmann."

Ludwig's eyebrows raised. "You worked with Kauffmann?"

"Yes it was quite an experience. I sure learned my place in the work world." I meant that with the utmost disdain, but it was the most I could say without outwardly divulging how I was mistreated.

Ludwig seemed to catch my drift however and his eyebrows knitted together. "Kauffmann has been known to be very aggressive and callous. I hope he didn't completely ruin your frame of judgement of the Nazi party."

I laughed to myself. This guy really was brainwashed. "Oh no of course not! In fact, I learned a lot about it myself while there."

Ludwig faced me, taking a sip of wine. "Well then I am glad. Too many people in America don't understand us." This guy wasn't serious, was he? When you storm in and create a Holocaust, I don't think people are going to start kissing the ground you walk on.

"That is true." Anger started to bubble up again. This guy truly thought that the Nazis were all rainbows and unicorns? No way in hell.

I sipped my wine and turned to stare right into his cold eyes. I didn't break my gaze as I spoke. "I witnessed my best friend in college get publicly executed in front of hundreds of people." Arthur kicked my foot under the table, but I didn't care. "She was apparently a Jew sympathizer. At the time I didn't believe them when they told me because she was the pillar of the Aryan race. Bright blonde hair, blue eyes, just like yours. And she was shot dead." I saw the slightest cringe in his demeanor and I knew I got to him. I let out a perverse chuckle. "She didn't report a Jew that she knew. Ha! That traitorous bitch." I probably sounded a bit crazy, and even for Nazis it was taboo to talk about death so blatantly at nice dinner parties. I then let my tone get grave. "After they calmed me down and explained everything I realized that she put us all in danger. She deserved it. Her blood was spilled for the good of The Reich." I took another sip of wine, maintaining my gaze right into Ludwig's eyes. How's that for acting?

I balled my right hand into a fist under the table and could feel my nails digging painfully into the skin on my palms.

Ludwig was taken aback by my candor. "I-I heard about that. I am deeply sorry that your friend had a fate like that."

"Why would you be sorry? She was a traitor after all. Betrayed The Reich." I shrugged my shoulders in apathy. "So what about you? You have a very decorated military career. You must have some stories to share with me." I gave him a blinding smile.

* * *

Somehow I survived through dinner. Ludwig wasn't trying to weasel information out of me the whole time, but I didn't know if that was because he believed me or was waiting for the perfect moment to ruin our lives somehow. Arthur also tried to speak with me about anything else in order to keep Ludwig from talking to me.

After a beautiful dinner of duck, dessert came. It was a chocolate mousse with gold shavings. My eyes went wide. Gold? On a dessert? And people were starving! As appalled as I was about the ridiculous display, it was one of the tastiest things I had ever eaten. Ludwig noticed my reaction and had asked if I liked it.

After dinner, Arthur quickly whisked me away to dance. It was an excuse to get away from that table. I had never really danced before so I was probably pretty pitiful at the whole thing. Arthur just pressed his lips together and sighed at my clumsiness.

"Sorry. I've never done this type of dancing before."

"It's alright, just follow my lead. It's fairly easy once you get the hang of it," he reassured. It didn't seem like he was paying much attention to me or the dancing. His eyes were moving all around the room. After a moment for me to get used to the dancing, Arthur decided to speak. "So how was Ludwig?"

I looked around. "He was alright for a Nazi I guess. I don't know. He still kind of scared me."

Arthur chuckled, but I could swear that I saw a flash of darkness in his eyes. "He scares a lot of us."

The music was beautiful and melancholy. My dress glittered under the lights and it was one of those moments where instead of worrying about Cass or Nazis or helping people, I was living life as a young adult should be. The moment felt magical and even though I really didn't know Arthur that well, there was some semblance of comfort with him. He seemed to be in control of things. I rested my head on his shoulder. Although it did help our cover, I did it because it felt right. Not in a romantic way, but in a way that told him that I trusted him. I finally trusted him. Ever since the 'drugging' incident I had been wary, but there wasn't much I could do about it now. I couldn't explain it, but I just knew that I could put my faith in him. I simply just had to jump in feet first, and deal with the consequences later.

As we slowly turned, Arthur's eyes darted behind my shoulder. "Oh no." He said, dread in his voice.

"What is it?" I asked in alarm.

"I can't believe that  _frog_  is here."

"What?" I questioned, completely taken aback by his word choice. Before I could ask anything else, a man with longer blonde hair butted in, interrupting our dance.

"Arthur! You never told me that you finally found the joys of love!" At this point I was completely flabbergasted at whoever this guy was. He was undeniably French, and as soon as he opened his mouth Arthur looked as though he was about to punch him in the face.

Wanting a response, he asked, "Arthur, would you mind introducing me to this girl? Elle est très jolie!"

Arthur's jaw set, and he had clearly had it with this man. "Get away you pervert."

The man just simply rolled his eyes. "You and I both know that isn't true." He then started to address me. "I'm sorry for Arthur's rudeness, but don't believe what he is saying. My name is Francis Bonnefoy. I have been a friend of Arthur's for a very long time." Francis then proceeded to pull me in and kiss each of my cheeks in greeting.

I was a little taken aback by the gesture, but recovered quickly, remembering that it was a French thing to do. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Rhea Warner. How do you and Arthur know each other?"

Francis looked at Arthur with a glint of mysteriousness in his eyes. "Oh we go way back. I can't remember when we first met. I work for the French government, and we met through work."

I nodded in interest. Before I could say anything else, Francis said, "Would you like to dance?"

Again before I could answer, Arthur immediately stepped to my side and said, "she's not dancing with the likes of you."

Francis raised an eyebrow. "But you'd let her dance with the likes of them?" He motioned his head towards a group of Nazis.

Arthur's voice got low and threatening. "Don't push me. You know it's different. I have no choice in the matter. Leave.  _Now_."

I was shocked at the exchange. Clearly Francis was not Arthur's superior; Arthur was speaking his mind.

Francis still looked self-satisfied as ever, but his eyes got low and he moved close towards Arthur. He leaned in and said, "you better be careful. They're sharks, and sharks bite hard."

Francis then backed off and nodded to me, signaling his goodbye.

"Don't worry about him. He's the least of our concerns right now," was all Arthur said on the subject.

I let out a breath, too focused on the plethora of Nazis surrounding us to ask for details.

Arthur started to dance with me again. The ebb and the flow of the music made the silence between us a little less awkward. I was too busy concentrating on not stepping on his toes while he was surveying the room.

"Oh bloody hell" he mumbled under his breath.

"What now?" I asked, concern lacing my voice.

He turned me around so I could see Ludwig and a striking albino man speaking with each other. They were staring at us in a way that set me on edge.

"They're talking about us. I don't know if they believe our story." Arthur quickly looked down at me. This was a man that I didn't know existed two weeks ago, yet at the same time I felt that we had known each other forever. He knew my biggest secret- something that could get me killed. When a person has that knowledge about you, a sort of connection is formed. In our case, it was this mutual understanding. "You shouldn't have brought up your dead friend. It's only cause for more suspicion."

After a few moments he looked into my eyes, and turned around so his back was facing Gilbert and Ludwig.

Before I knew it, the albino man was over by our side. He looked positively intriguing, if not slightly frightening. The first thing I noticed were his eyes. They were the brightest blood red color. I had never seen eyes like that before in my life. They had that sort of depth that Arthur's had. I just couldn't explain it. His skin was white, his hair was white and his eyelashes were white, giving an even more unnatural look to his eyes.

I felt the slightest bit of pressure on my waist from Arthur.

"Arthur, I'm so upset! You never introduced me to your beautiful girlfriend!" he chorused. His tone was loud and a bit grating. He looked me up and down and a wry smile came upon his face.

Arthur became frustrated, as if he had no time for him. "Rhea, this is Gilbert. Gilbert Beilschmidt. He is commander of the SS."

Gilbert rolled his eyes in a dramatic fashion. "Please, Arthur. I am Reichsführer. Show some respect," he said with a patronizing smile that was as sharp as a knife. So this was Gilbert. He then kissed my hand. "You are a pretty one," he purred.

The guy was starting to give me the creeps. The black SS uniform he was wearing contrasted sharply with his snow white skin. The infamous skull and iron cross were clearly visible, and he looked like a killing machine.

Gilbert then turned to Arthur. "Arthur, would you mind if I steal her for a bit? I'll bring her back in one piece. Promise." His voice was thick and almost mocking. My heart leapt in my throat. Okay, this guy terrified me.

"Not at all," was Arthur's response. And that was how I ended up dancing with the most intimidating man there. Bring on the Führer, no problem, but something was up with this one. I internally prayed that I would make it out alive tonight.

We started dancing, and my earlier confidence had dissipated. He had some strange kind of beauty to him, but it was overshadowed by his disturbing demeanor. "Why so nervous?" he teased with a sharp smile. He was just playing with me now.

"I'm not nervous," I fibbed, forcing myself to get the anxiousness out of my stomach.

He looked straight in my eyes and his voice went very low. "Don't lie to me." Chills rand down my spine. "I can feel that your pulse is moving very fast," he explained. Gilbert then squeezed my hand, the one that he was holding, showing me how he knew. "I hate it when people lie to me."

I gulped hard. He wasn't beating around the bush.

Fine. Two can play at that game. "What do you want?"

He was whirling me around the dance space and I was struggling to keep up. It was a way for him to express his dominance over the situation. He was a good seven inches taller than me, and his form was slender and lean. The silver accents on his uniform gleamed under the light, just like the silver on my dress.

Gilbert looked down at me and glared, looking positively smug. "I am simply trying to figure out why Arthur is spending so much time with you," he revealed.

I put on my best lovebird facade and proclaimed, "He loves me. That's why."

He squeezed my hand on a pressure point and I had to coerce myself to remain calm through the pain. "What did I just tell you?" he said in a patronizing way, as if he was a teacher explaining something to a hopeless student.

"Don't lie" I said through gritted teeth.

"Very good. I know that Arthur just doesn't  _love_  people. Now, shall we try it again? Why are you staying with him?" His red eyes glared down at me, waiting for an answer.

A little pressure point came nowhere near my breaking point. "I don't know what to tell you, Mr. Beilschmidt. The only thing I've learned in our discussion is how the SS truly do live up to the stories." I spoke with revulsion in my words. I then took that opportunity to break away from him and go back to the safety of Arthur.

Before I could take two steps Gilbert grabbed my wrist and pulled me in with a strength that I had remembered experiencing when Arthur defended himself against my attack. He put his mouth next to my ear and hissed, "I can do much worse than that. Your friend's murder is nothing compared to what I am capable of." He then released me and I moved as fast as I could away from him. He was positively terrifying, everything about him. The only reason he let me go was probably to not make a scene.

Arthur had been staring at the exchange from the tables across the room. I approached him, a bit shaken by the brief conversation. "What a charming man," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Provoking him is unwise. He doesn't have much control over his emotions." As he said that I noticed that Gilbert was shooting daggers in Arthur's direction.

"How'd you know I provoked him?" I questioned.

Arthur gave a mirthless laugh. "I saw his reaction from here. You obviously said something."

"Hmm" was all I responded with.

* * *

-Prussia-

"They're lying," I said with gritted teeth. How in the hell did he think he was going to get away with that? He must be getting desperate ...or lazy.

West looked over at me with a look that parents gave their kids when they started crying about monsters being under their beds. "Oh? What makes you say that?"

I rolled my eyes, staring out at the rest of the party. The carving of the German eagle hung prominently in the entryway of the massive landmark. To be honest, the sheer amount of swastikas that hung on the walls was a bit too over the top for my taste. "It's so obvious I can't believe you didn't call their bluff the moment they walked in," I bragged.

He chuckled. "Okay bruder, then please enlighten me."

"Do you seriously think Arthur just fell head over heels in love with some human girl? He doesn't have a romantic bone in his body to begin with." I cackled, flabbergasted at the sheer thought of Arthur with a female. "She must be eliminated."

"It wouldn't be the first time he's been with a human. We've all been there. It just seems as though he doesn't care that she'll eventually go crazy." Ludwig gave me a serpent smile that reminded me of myself, and it set me on edge. "Maybe he needs a girl to get his mind off things. Funny, I always thought he preferred men."

"Who cares? Better safe than sorry. She needs to die. You and I both know that."

West glanced over at me with a look that said he knew what he was doing. "With time, Prussia. One human can't destroy all that we have created."

"Yes but one human and many Nations can pose a threat," I said, fingers laced behind my back. I thought I was supposed to be the overconfident one? Ludwig took a sip of his drink. The way he had been acting recently was strange, and I knew what it was because I had been through it hundreds of years ago. He had to protect himself from what was happening. He wasn't the same as he was and I missed it a little.

"Well if you feel that way, then we shall take care of it," he said easily, as he stared out at the guests.

The barest shiver could be felt on the back of my neck as I internally suppressed it. "I-I mean if you think she is nothing to us then-"

"No, no you're right. She is most definitely not just some love interest." He then turned to me, eyebrows raised. "You'd think that they would have learned that opposing me leaves them decimated. They have already tried it twice. I'm surprised they still have any fight left in them. It's been seventy years."

I chuckled with malice. "England had the largest empire on Earth and he has been around for over a thousand years. It must be hard for him," I said with an air of superiority. "And America's still running his mouth."

"Never mind them, brother. We have built the greatest Empire in the world, better than Alexander's and even the old British Empire," he said, clapping me on the back.

"It will last a thousand years."

West's eyes took on a faraway look. "Yes. Let's hope it does." He then snapped out of it, "We shall get the girl tonight. We won't bother the Führer about it, she'll be contained soon anyway."

I nodded, eyes zoning in on my future target. It was such a shame that Arthur had to get her involved like that. By this point he was just wasting lives. I then looked back over to West. "You're alright?" I asked him. He seemed removed and I knew that it was from the stresses of governing.

"You know, I'm getting tired of you constantly asking me that question," he said with exasperation.

"I'm your brother, West. Sometimes I get a little concerned, I can't imagine what you must be-"

Ludwig cut me off before I could say anything else. "To have a great Empire, prices must be payed. It's nothing I can't handle and I'm stronger than ever before. Never been better."

I raised an eyebrow but decided to end the conversation there. It was hard for me when they started killing large amounts of my own population. Nations don't know race like the Nazis do. Every single death still hurt. Now that Germany was nearly half of the world, and his own government was systematically killing off a majority of his people, it must be killing him inside. It was hurting me and I wasn't even a full Nation anymore. His own fascist regime was hurting him from the inside, but I held out hope that once it was all over, he will be a better Nation because of it.

* * *

-Rhea Warner-

The longest night of my life was finally drawing to a close. I could almost taste the cold, crisp air of London that I yearned for so much as we were about to say our final goodbyes. Ludwig was pleasant enough, but as Gilbert approached me there was this flash in his eyes that I couldn't quite decipher. All I knew was that it wasn't amiable.

Behind me I had heard Gilbert speaking with Arthur in a hushed tone. "We all know what happens when you associate yourself with her. You're playing with fire, wether you're lying or not."

"Playing with fire is quite a nice distraction when it comes to that or watching my city crumble before my eyes." Arthur shot back, his manner was hostile. The words came out as though he was spitting poison, hatred burning emerald in his eyes.

All I was focusing on was trying to get out of there. We could talk about everything later. I was handed my long black coat and took Arthur's arm as the car pulled up. He opened the door for me and got in on the other side. Once he sat down we both let out a simultaneous sigh of exhaustion and relief that the whole night was over. I thought that I kept my cover well.

Soon enough we were back at the hotel. We were staying at The Dorchester so that we didn't have to make the drive back late at night. Arthur had gotten ahold of a two bedroom suite. Of course. I didn't expect anything less at this lobby had enormous bouquets of roses and the whole thing was just palatial.

Arthur lead me through the corridor to an isolated elevator that would take us straight to our suite. He swiped his key card to access it, and we silently rode the elevator to the top. When we reached our room, I felt ecstatic that the night was over.

I immediately rushed to the sofa and collapsed, a smile on my face.

As Arthur hung his coat up, he mentioned, "There are no cameras in here. I checked before we came. You are welcome to speak freely."

"All I can say is I think that we sold it pretty well. We make a good team." I raised my fist to give him a knuckle touch but he looked at me with a puzzled expression. I then remembered that he was pretty ignorant when it came to the whole personal space thing.

He then scratched the back of his head, and seemed to be thinking about the proper words to say. "Rhea, look. I'm so sorry. You must forgive me."

"Sorry for what?" I asked, honestly not knowing what in the world he was talking about.

I had never seen Arthur more uncomfortable in my life. "The whole thing. It's asking a lot of you to pretend like that with such prominent people, and to pretend to like me-"

I cut him off with a sharp laugh. "Oh my god, are you seriously concerned about faking a relationship? It's not a big deal at all! I mean, you didn't grope me or anything."

Arthur coughed and the corner of his lip turned up, he went from abashed to self-satisfied pretty quick. His expression then changed to concern. "Wait, someone has tried to-" he paused, growing a bit upset.

"Yeah, Kauffmann in fact. The man's a pig, but it could have been worse. He just touched me. Never did anything, it really isn't a big deal. If I lose my marbles because someone unwanted touched my chest, then we have bigger issues."

Arthur looked at me as though he didn't understand. His thick eyebrows knit together to express disagreement. "Kauffmann's in the top five on my list of people to kill." Arthur spoke the fact as if he were stating the weather.

"Dude, same."

Arthur then put on the slightest smile because of my comment.

"What?"

"It's nothing. You just reminded me of Alfred right there, that's all."

"Oh." I grabbed the star necklace and thought about him. "Do you see each other often?"

Arthur moved to sit down in the chair across from me. "Not much anymore. Things have gotten complicated to say the least. He's under more scrutiny from the Germans than I am."

A sudden and inexplicable pain came over me as I thought about what that could imply. Even though I didn't know Alfred well at all, I had a strong urge to care for his safety. "I hope he's okay."

"He's been better, but he'll get through it. We all do- well, most of us anyway ," Arthur stated.

I looked around the room, taking it all in. "So do you think they bought it tonight?"

"I hope so. They didn't arrest us there on the spot, so I think we're okay."

I nodded, wishing that Arthur was right. "Well I think I am going to go to bed. Tonight completely drained me. I'll see you in the morning." With that I retreated to my room to wash up and get ready for bed. The warm water of the shower felt like bliss as I relaxed under the steam. Eventually I pulled myself out and finished up in the bathroom. I had brought the book that Arthur recommended for me to help me fall asleep. The pirate Benjamin Hornigold had turned into a pirate hunter, and chased his former friends throughout the seas. His story was intriguing. I wished for a time like that. Even though it was hundreds of years ago, at least people were more or less free to do what they wanted. He traveled to Madeira and Nassau, and all over the Atlantic. Freedom like that must have been amazing to have.

Before I could think too much about it, I was out cold from the fatigue of the day.

* * *

The low frequency sound of the elevator woke me up in the middle of the night. No one but us was supposed to be able to use it. Immediately my heart started racing as I tore the covers from my body and rushed to grab the gun that I carried in the bottom of my overnight bag. My hands were shaking and I couldn't see clearly from waking up so suddenly in the middle of the night. My head got heavy and the world was spinning but I ignored it as my human instincts kicked in. I then bounded into Arthur's room. Arthur was already up; he had heard the elevator as well.

"We are the only ones who can use the elevator, right?" I asked quickly, adrenaline starting to pump through my veins.

Arthur nodded. "I think they're coming." His voice was calm but his eyes showed a fear of the unknown.

"Oh my god." I didn't know what to do. There was no place to go. Cold terror coursed through me and I felt stranded, knowing there was nothing I could do.

"Stay calm and follow my lead" Arthur coached me, but he didn't seem too confident himself. Immediately after those words left his lips Ludwig and Gilbert were standing in our doorway, Gilbert holding a key card, nothing but smug satisfaction plastered on his white face.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur asked, his tone even.

"Isn't it obvious?" Gilbert replied. "We're here to take the girl."

"You have no reason to do that." Arthur declared as he positioned himself between the intruders and myself.

"We can do whatever the hell we want," came Gilbert's sharp reply.

My eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat. My hand instinctively went down to hold the grip of the gun that I hid behind my thigh.

"She knows nothing. All we have done is a little charity work. There's nothing for you to gain from this." Arthur was surprisingly calm through this whole thing. I, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. Cold sweat started dripping down my body as my heart pounded through my chest. I looked around the room frantically to search for any way that I could somehow escape, to no avail.

"Oh Arthur, I think there is everything to gain. I haven't seen you in love since the eighteenth century, and we all know how that turned out. Thought you swore off the mortal blood. It's hard for me to believe that you would drop everything for one human."

My anxiety increased tenfold. The eighteenth century? What in the hell were they talking about?

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Maybe it's because I have nothing more to live for. You stripped everything from me, and now her?" There was an animalistic bite to his tone. The tension in the room was palpable. He thought fast, and I was internally praying that it was enough, shoving back the nagging idea that it wasn't going to work.

My uncertainty had hit its peak. I truly felt lost at the moment. "Wha-What are you talking about? The eighteenth century..?" I trailed off meekly, wishing for some rational explanation.

"Ha!" Gilbert shrieked. "You haven't even told her? That's rich,  _England_." He squealed in delight at the knowledge.

I decided to keep quiet because my life was on the line. Ludwig and Gilbert took a step closer to us, and Arthur reacted by taking a prepared militaristic stance.

It was now Ludwig's turn to speak. "Arthur, don't fight. You and I both know it's futile."

"Try me" Arthur growled as he clenched his teeth.

Gilbert rolled his eyes, and lurched forward, making his first attack. With a wave of his hand, Arthur pushed them back against the wall and using his other arm as a protective gesture, separating me from them. My eyes grew wide. What was going on? It seemed as though some kind of magical force was pushing them back. Disbelief was etched onto my face. There was no way that this was happening right now.

Several seconds later Gilbert and Ludwig resisted and came forward again. This time Gilbert was done with his little act. He took a dagger out of his jacket and threw it straight at Arthur. It was the fastest movement I had ever seen, but somehow Arthur dodged it and managed to shove me out of the way all in one swift movement. Before I could even react, the blade of the dagger made a thud as it stuck into the side of the wall behind me.

"Holy shit" I breathed to myself, diving behind the couch. I had no time to think about anything. All I was focusing on was surviving. I didn't know what these people-things?- were, so I had to take care of myself. Arthur was clearly at the losing end as Ludwig approached him and got into a fist fight.

Quicker than anything I could have ever imagined, Ludwig had pinned Arthur's arms behind him, completely subduing him. Arthur tried to wrestle his way out with no success.

As I surveyed my surroundings, I saw Gilbert stalking towards me. I whipped out the gun as quickly as I could and used the couch I was behind as a place to steady my shaking arms. "Don't come any farther!" I yelled out, my voice hitching in my breath. I had never shot anyone before, but even with the view of my gun, Gilbert didn't slow his pace. It all happened so fast, and I couldn't let him get any closer. I held my breath and squeezed the trigger, aiming for his chest. A shot went off and it hit him right below the clavicle.

Gilbert did not stop. He let out a sadistic laugh that chilled me to the bone, and hissed, "you bitch!" I immediately shot two more times, desperate to stop him from approaching me. Each time I hit him, and each time was a kill shot. He still came towards me as if I were shooting styrofoam. He was now at point blank range. In another fast motion, he grabbed the hand that I held my gun with, and twisted my arm in such a way that I let out a scream of pain, and was forced to drop the weapon. At this point I noticed that there was no more blood coming from where I shot him. I was paralyzed with fear.

My line of sight was directed to Arthur, my last hope, however he was still being held by Ludwig.

Gilbert wrenched my arms around and I screamed in pain. In a last ditch effort using my heel, I kicked him as I hard as I could in the shin, trying to wriggle to get free. Even with that he held me with such a strong grip that I couldn't move. He used rope to tie my arms together, then covered my mouth with his hand to prevent me from screaming. I bit down on the skin of his hand as hard as I could. In response, he moved my shoulder so hard that I felt it dislocate. My muffled cries couldn't be heard. Tears welled in my eyes from the pain and the realization of what was happening to me.

"Germany, don't you have any moral compass at all? Think back to the nineteenth century." Arthur said through gritted teeth. Ludwig (Germany?!) didn't seem to hear him.

Gilbert then let out a raucous laugh. "You are a threat to the Reich. We had your room bugged with a little help from Romania. It is amazing what he will do with a few extra tonnes of food for his people. By the way, we took those tonnes straight from the mighty British Empire! Looks like a few more of your people will be hungry next year." Gilbert then squealed again with euphoric delight. Arthur looked as though he had given up. All color left his face and his eyes looked empty. He knew that he couldn't win this fight.

Gilbert then twisted me around violently, a sadistic smile on his face. "Let's see how much he really loves you."

"Arthur, Arthur no!" I screamed. I didn't know what to do or say. The situation was pointless to fight. It felt just like when I was being taken away with Cassia, and somehow I knew that I was going to have a similar fate.

"Oh shut up," Gilbert said to me as he put a cloth to my face that smelled sweet. I tried to hold my breath but soon enough my lungs gave out. My arms and legs began to go numb and all of the sounds in the room became suppressed. A few seconds later, the world tilted on its side and I felt as if I was falling into oblivion.


	6. The Truth Won't Set You Free

_"In the land of Gods and Monsters,_   
_I was an Angel_   
_Living in the Garden of Evil_   
_Screwed up, scared, doing everything that I needed_   
_Shining like a fiery beacon."_

-Lana del Rey _Gods & Monsters_

* * *

"Can anyone alter fate? All of us combined... or one great figure... or someone strategically placed, who happens to be in the right spot. Chance. Accident. And our lives, our world, hanging on it."

-Philip K. Dick  _The Man in the High Castle_

* * *

Chapter V: The Truth Won't Set You Free  
-Rhea Warner-

I slowly began to stir as the rays of sunlight streamed in through sheer curtains and gave me a slight warmth. The bed that I was sleeping in was soft and comfortable-I didn't want to leave it. I was half-awake, dozing between the dream world and the real touch of the pillow. I twisted around to re-situate myself in order to get in a better position. The silk sheets under me felt luxurious and the slight smell of sandalwood filled the room.

Before I could get too acclimated, a shot of pain in my shoulder reminded me of the events of the night before like a wave crashing down on me. I opened one of my eyes just enough to get a look at the room. I didn't recognize it. Immediately I forced myself to wake up, panic sweeping over me.

"Good morning, sunshine-" came a smooth voice from the corner of the room "-or however you Americans say it." I jolted up and my blood ran cold as I saw crimson eyes staring at me. Instantly I backed up against the backboard of the bed, trying to get every inch of space between Gilbert and myself as possible.

"Where am I?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.

"You're in the great city of Berlin," Gilbert responded, smiling at my discomfort. He then rang a small bell that was sitting on the wood table beside his chair. "Katarine, sie ist bereit," he ordered. Not five seconds later did a young girl around my age, perhaps a year younger, walk into the room with a tray. On it were pastries, fruit, juice and tea. She set the tray down on my lap and bowed her head in respect, then silently made her way out of the room.

I looked down at the breakfast with wariness. "What do you want from me?" I was smart enough to know that this didn't come without a price.

"Nothing really, I just want to have a conversation with you, that's all." His eyes were fixated on me, and it was unnerving.

Suddenly I remembered the events of the night before with such clarity. I had shot him, but there were no wounds that I could see. He had been speaking with Arthur about the times that have long since passed. I eyed him with fear and confusion.

"You aren't hu-human?" I stuttered. That was the big secret. Still, I couldn't bring myself to believe it. There was no way. He was just toying with me. They all were. That was the only explanation.

Gilbert's face then turned into a cheshire cat grin. "Ding ding ding!" he chirped and I jumped a little at the sudden noise.

I shook my head, rejecting the notion. Magical things did not exist. Period. They existed in books and television and movies. "That's a funny joke. Really, you think within the first twenty four hours of being captured and my brain's fried enough to believe that?"

Gilbert rested his chin on his hand and looked at me with a gleam in those eyes, smiling. He enjoyed this. "Believe what you want, I really don't care one way or another."

I gulped hard. This wasn't going to end well.

"Well go ahead, eat up! It may be one of the last good meals you get in a while."

My heart rate rose even more than it had before. I glanced down at the food, paranoia seeping into my mind like ink in water. "Are you going to kill me?"

Gilbert just shrugged and his voice was filled with apathy. "I don't know. It depends on how well you're willing to cooperate."

"I swear to you, I don't know anything." I said those words with a weight, trying to make him believe me.

Gilbert put his hands down on each arm of the chair. "Tsk, tsk. I'm afraid things won't be going too well for you in the coming days, then."

This was anyone's worst nightmare. Where was Arthur? Was he okay? He had no idea where I was, and there was nothing anyone could do. My thoughts began to swarm with possible horrors that these people (things?) could inflict upon me. My body started shaking. How did I get myself caught up in this mess? I hadn't even taken part of anything groundbreaking yet, and I was already caught. Despair filled the room and it started to suffocate me.

"You really should eat." Gilbert's voice rang through my thoughts. "I would if I were you."

The food in front of me was set out in a lovely way, complete with a small vase of pink chrysanthemums. This was the calm before the storm. They were setting me up, giving me these luxuries, confusing me. It was a form of psychological torture, surely. I decided to start eating, as food was food and I needed it if I was ever going to survive.

Gilbert then stood up and walked over to me with a brisk strong step. He stopped at the foot of the bed and unbuttoned the top few buttons on his white shirt. The color almost blended in with his skin. He pulled the shirt to the side, exposing some of his skin, right where I had shot him the night before. There was nothing there. No wound, no stitches, not even a bruise.

"I believe you shot me right about there," he said, pointing to the area below his clavicle.

I looked up at him, unbelieving. "That's impossible," I breathed. I then gathered my thoughts. "Stop. I know what you're doing and it won't work. I have no information to give you."

Gilbert just dismissed my words, and shrugged again. "Stupidity is refusing to believe what is right in front of you."

"I'm not stupid," I growled. There had to be some reason as to why there was no damage. Makeup. Something. It had to be something.

I could barely eat with all this going through my head, therefore I had to basically force feed myself in order to get whatever nutrients came from the food. I was so queasy by the end of it all that I began to gag after each bite, as the thought of food became so unpleasant. Gilbert's unwavering stare didn't help the situation.

"Katarine, sie ist fertig," he called when I was done. Instantaneously, the same girl came in and took the tray of food, including the vase of flowers.

Gilbert then got up to leave. "I hope you enjoy your stay," he said before he closed the door behind him. The click of a lock sounded.

Uncertainty was all I could feel. I didn't know what was going to happen to me or how I was going to get out of this alive. One thing I did know was that this was certainly an unconventional way of handling people who were taken in for questioning. Most were sent to dark cells or camps; this was definitely not normal. I began to wrack my brain of what my game plan was going to be, partly to keep the boredom at bay. I decided to walk around the nice room. I got out of bed, the cool air slapping against my arms. I went to look out the window. Outside was a huge green space of grass and a few trees. I was on the grounds of some enormous compound. Far off in the distance was a huge and ornate gate, enclosing the grounds. Beyond that were buildings and chimney smoke rising high into the air. Berlin. I was right in the heart of Nazi Germany. Despair began to make its presence known. I was so far away from everyone. No one would even find me. I looked down, realizing that there was no use in escaping out the window. Besides the loud crash of glass, the room was high up off the ground, making it too dangerous to jump out of. What good was running away if your legs were broken? I turned back around to face the room. It was simple, yet well appointed. There was the bed, along with some chairs in the corner. There was also a closet room. But besides that, not much else. There were no books to read or paintings to look at.

The closet was large but completely empty. The bathroom was nice with a marble tub and countertops. Thank God there was a bathroom. I didn't know how long I was going to be there.

Realizing that there wasn't anything in the room that would one, entertain me, or two, break me out, I sat down in one of the chairs. I decided to meditate and focus on breathing. I needed to calm down.

My mind wandered to my family. I hoped that they were okay. They were probably wondering where I was at this point. It was better that they didn't know. Faint happiness came over me as I imagined my brother James. He was my father figure growing up. He supported Victoria and I when my mother was dealing with whatever turmoil was in her head. She was hit hardest by father's "departure"-or at least that's what it seemed like. James was just that good at handling his emotions- a quality I envied. He was older than us when father was taken, making it affect him even more than me. Victoria was still fairly young, but she still knew what had happened. James would sometimes have to make us dinner when mother was having one of her episodes. She would be detached and emotionally unstable for a day or two, and then she would snap out of it. But the depression always stayed with her. Her episodes came like the tide, ebbing and flowing.

Tears filled my eyes as I thought about them: how hard it would be to lose another family member. Soon after overwhelming regret came over me. How could I be so stupid to just get up and leave? This was never a fight I was going to win. I didn't even know Alfred or Arthur. It was just- what? Some gut instinct?

And that brought me to the other issue. What were these people? I couldn't just outright believe anything that Gilbert told me, but there was the smallest of voices in my head telling me that there was some truth about it. How did Arthur just shove them against the wall? I knew I saw that. I wasn't crazy. It was as if some invisible force kept them from approaching. And then came the book in the library. That was just downright strange, yet it could be explained rationally: a coincidence. They spoke about the sixteenth century as if they were there and Arthur seemed to have some weird connection with World War II, as if he lived it. And then there was their eyes. I can't form it into words, what it is about them. All I know is that there was something. They were all so bright but it was as if you could see this deep and extraordinarily complex emotion. Their eyes shift in such an inhuman way. I didn't know what to think. But there was one thing I did know: dwelling on all of it was beginning to make my head hurt. It also made me begin to understand how clueless I was.

The only thing I could do now was lay in my bed and become haunted by my thoughts. I couldn't let this happen. I was going to survive this. I knew I could. Survival stories happened all the time. We all heard whispers of them during windy days in the park when the zephyr would take the illegal words from lips and dissolve it into nothing. I don't have anything useful for them, and I will be sent on my way. I repeated this mantra in my head, trying to convince myself even though I knew it to be fruitless. They would sooner kill me than just let me go free.

* * *

The hours went by painstakingly slow. I was just alone with my thoughts and bored. Matters could be much, much worse. I was thankful that that was all I had to deal with so far.

The next time anything happened was hours later. The sun had set. I heard footsteps approaching the door and the next thing I knew the same servant, Katarine, placed a glass of water on the floor just inside the room. She then closed the door, having said nothing. I got up from the bed and immediately felt light-headed. I had to sit back down to get my head used to the rush of blood. After coming to, I made my way to the water, not realizing how thirsty I was. I tried to figure out why they would give me a glass of water when I had access to water in the bathroom, but as was with most things, dwelling on it too long lead to even more questions.

Eventually I feel asleep, hunger softly gnawing at my stomach, and the pain of my shoulder throbbing faintly.

The next morning, a loud and swift knock on the door shook me out of a pleasant dream.

"Come in" I choked out, my voice scratchy from lack of use. I was happy that I was going to get food.

But instead of food, Ludwig strode in, complete in his military uniform. "Follow me," he ordered with no explanation.

I had no choice but to follow him out of the room. He lead me through the hallways of the home. It was enormous, similar to Arthur's, but a different style. The place was filled with fur rugs which stretched along the floors. The animals were probably hunted in the German forests. Arthur's home was regal yet still homey, this place was filled with strength and power.

Ludwig lead me to an empty room. Gilbert was in the corner. There was a single chair in the center. "Sit" Ludwig demanded.

My body was shaky as I approached and sat down. Instead of wearing a smug and arrogant look as usual, Gilbert looked determined and focused, a stern face marking his pale features.

Ludwig took a deep breath through his nose. "This is very simple, Miss Warner. All you have to do is tell me what I ask of you, and you can go free."

I looked over to him, staying as strong as I could. "Forgive me if I don't believe a word you say."

Ludwig simply looked down at me, pity shifting through his eyes. "I don't think you understand the situation you are in, so let me make it quite clear to you. You don't have any choice in the matter. Believe what you want. Whatever I decide to do with you will be done, whether it is kill you, torture you, or let you go free. I couldn't care less about what you  _think_  is going to happen." He turned his back to me then. "But I can promise you this: if you don't tell me what I want to know, things will get very difficult for you."

Saliva caught in the back of my throat. I could feel my muscles twitch in anticipation. Ludwig then turned back to me. His face was filled with a sort of exhaustion. He didn't really seem to be happy to be hurting me, neither did Gilbert for that matter. I guess it was a positive that I didn't have some sadistic psycho as my captor. I had heard the stories. Many of those men guarding the camps liked it. They had to. How else could you be around such misery and destruction of human life?

Ludwig sighed. "Let's start easy. Why did you move from the United States to London?"

I paused, thinking about the words to say. I just had to stay away from saying anything about a rebellion. "I moved because of a job opportunity."

A resounding bang startled me as Ludwig pounded his hand against the wall. Gilbert just shook his head. "I know that you are lying." I was taken aback, even at the Gala Ludwig never let his emotions show. The action was disconcerting. He lowered his face, regaining his composure. He then turned back to me, steadying his voice. "It isn't that hard to figure out that you were a university student in Washington DC. There were no records of you leaving permanently. It is extremely unlikely that you would move to London in the middle of your studies."

I swallowed. So he knew a little more about me than I thought. Obviously he would. I was stupid for thinking otherwise. Okay, I could still work with this.

"Now, why did you move?"

My body tensed and prepared for what was to come. I couldn't afford to lose this. "A friend of Arthur's convinced me to fly out for a job. I swear. Yes, I was in the middle of my university studies, but I thought it would be a good opportunity since my internship was not going well." I shuddered, thinking back to Cassia. "Turns out Arthur just wanted help in feeding the starving people in London."

Gilbert's and Ludwig's eyes shot up to me. I froze, thinking about what I possibly said wrong. I didn't say anything about the plans, and it was a good cover.

Ludwig swiftly approached me. "A friend? Who was this friend of Arthur's?"

"I don't know," I said meekly. Shit. I couldn't believe that. I didn't think it was a big deal. Did I just get Alfred into trouble? The color drained from my face. This was not going to end well for me. I couldn't say anything else.

"Tell me!" Ludwig seemed almost desperate now.

I prepared myself mentally for the words that I was about to say. "With all due respect, I am not saying anything else to you. My knowledge is useless to you."

Ludwig gritted his teeth. "You will regret that."

He then grabbed my healthy arm and pulled me from the chair unceremoniously. He practically dragged me back to the room I was staying in and threw me in, shutting the door and locking it.

My breath was racing now, but I had expected more physical pain. I was sure that he was going to at least hit me after my comment. Even through the momentary relief, there was an eerie feeling in my stomach that things were going to get much worse, and I would rather have the quick hit.

* * *

Two days had gone by and no food had come. It was a struggle to fight through the pain in my gut from the lack of nutrition, but I tried to focus on thinking about other things and not moving too much. I was certainly not the first one in a predicament like this.

I rolled around, trying to position myself in such a way that would make the hunger stop. I knew it was pointless, but I had to try. People think of how bad it would be to die of hunger, but this surpassed all of my wildest expectations. It had only been two days. Someone could last what, two or three weeks without food? The fear that had been constantly in my stomach since the night Gilbert and Ludwig broke into the hotel room felt as though it was constricting my heart. This was the beginning of starvation. It was too hot in the room for me. I started to break out in sweat and I felt nauseated again.

Some time later I heard the patter of steps approaching down the hallway beyond the door. Voices could be heard.

"Oh Eliza, don't do this to me! It is completely un-awesome" came Gilbert's voice. It was filled with an almost pleading tone that I had never heard out of him.

"I can  _sense_  her Gil! What the hell have you two been doing?" came a female's voice.

"You don't want to know," Gilbert muttered.

"Show her to me.  _Now_."

"Fine, fine. Whatever you say. Can't promise that you're going to like it."

The lock on the door clicked and in walked a young woman, perhaps a year or two older than me with long brown hair. She was beautiful. Meanwhile I was sitting on the bed, focusing on not throwing up.

She turned to him and rolled her eyes. "You can't be serious. Are you that paranoid, Gil? Come on."

She then looked at me and her eyes were filled with commiseration. They were similar to Arthur's eyes.

"She's a threat. I don't even know why I took you here in the first place. She isn't supposed to see anyone."

"Oh give it a rest. You can't seriously think one human girl is going to take down The Reich?" She then let out a laugh. "Stop this nonsense."

As quick as a flash of lightning, Gilbert's expression changed to one of anger. "You don't get to tell me what to do and deem what is right and wrong. Remember your place," he spat out, suddenly livid.

The woman's-Eliza's?-face flashed to one of vexation just as quickly as Gilbert's shift. She swallowed then shook her head. "I'm leaving. This new world Germany and you made together is the worst thing I've  _ever_  had to live through." Her voice was filled with venom and her eyes nearly glowed with resentment. With that she stalked out of the door, her footsteps became more and more muffled.

Behind Gilbert's disturbing facade I saw a flicker of regret. "No, Eliza wait! It-It's for the good of our people!" His voice was pleading. He then proceeded to run down the hall after her, but she was long gone. Before he left he relocked the door to my room.

I just sat there, stunned by the surprise appearance. The girl didn't seem too happy about the situation, but again she couldn't say much. Although I did give her props for sticking up for me and dealing with whatever wrath Gilbert would think of. It seemed as though he didn't like to upset her though.

The woman's accent was definitely not German, maybe a more eastern European? If that was the case, then she was definitely someone who had to obey the orders of The Reich.

She said how Gilbert and Ludwig built this world, but how could that be? Hitler built it, if anyone. My mind started swimming and I thought back to what Gilbert said about not being human. The more I stayed here the more I felt myself thinking about the notion. If, hypothetically, they were some sort of supernatural creature, then what were they? I could drive myself crazy thinking about it.

The next day Ludwig woke me from sleep. I tried to sleep as much as possible, as it made the time pass and I forgot about my hunger. I didn't know how much longer I could live like this. Now I could only sleep sporadically and for short periods of time.

"Up!" Ludwig ordered harshly.

I got up, trying not to think of what this day would bring. He lead me to the same room, (I didn't know the significance of it) and sat me down in the same chair.

"What are your true reasons for coming to London? What does Arthur want with you?" Gilbert was in his same corner, eating an apple. Taunting me.

"Answer and you will be fed," Ludwig said simply, motioning to bread that was over on the other side of the room. I had half a mind to get up and bolt for that food, even knowing that it would be an extraordinary failure.

Rage boiled in my heart. As weak as I was feeling and looking, I was not going to fold. No way. I spat on the ground next to Ludwig. What I said next was not my most intelligent moment.

"Fuck you. I won't tell you anything, so you might as well just kill me now," I said with a crazed voice. I didn't really mean it though. I didn't want to die. I really, really, didn't want to die, but I refused to tell them anything. I had to stay strong. One more day, one more day and I would be rescued.

Ludwig instantly backhanded me across the cheek. A quick flash of remorse flew through his eyes, but as soon as it came it was gone. Pain welled in my cheek as the capillaries broke under my skin. It stung but I could take it.

I looked up at both of them. "I don't know what the hell you are, but you are no better than a savage animal, mindless and unfeeling. I will not tell you what you want."

Ludwig's eyes blazed a blue fire. "You don't know who you're talking to," he said in a low growl.

"I know exactly who I'm talking to; a man so consumed with the ideal of a nation that you would stoop so low as to torture a girl who knows nothing," I shot back, with the hopeless thought of somehow breaking him of his brainwashed ideal. "I don't care if you are the devil himself, I will not say anything to you." I didn't know if outright disrespect was the right path to go, but at this point it didn't matter. I was going to be hurt no matter what. At least I could feel even minutely better that I was sticking it to him in some tiny way.

I was ready to be struck again, but instead he just backed down. He sighed as if the world were on his shoulders. "This is for the good of hundreds of millions of people. I need to know what Arthur is planning. Do you want another world war?" He spoke as though he were trying to justify it for himself.

I gritted my teeth. "He is not planning anything."

Ludwig ran his hand through his hair. It was slicked back during the Gala, but now strands fell in front of his forehead. He looked defeated and tired.

I had forgotten about Gilbert until he threw the half-eaten apple in the air, letting it land on the ground before he left the room. My gaze shot to the apple for a split second, but I turned back to Ludwig, not wanting to look so desperate for food.

Ludwig looked at me from the corner of his eye. His posture changed as he stood straight up, looking strong as ever. His voice was filled with the power that almost seemed to physically move me.

"I am not an animal. I am the physical personification of the nation of Germany."

Just like that something snapped in my head. My brain didn't have time to process the information before the sharpest pain I had ever felt went through my head. I fell off the chair, dropping to my knees and grabbing my head with both hands. The pain kept increasing and increasing, never seeming to stop. I screamed as it felt like a hammer was banging on the inside of my skull. I pulled on my hair, despairingly trying to somehow alleviate the torment. The suddenness of the agony came so quickly and so forcefully that I had no idea what to make of it.

"Make it stop! Make it stop!" I screeched, not understanding what was happening to me. "What are you doing to me!?"

Ludwig then rushed over.

"I-I'm not doing anything," he said, clearly worried that he was losing control over the situation. He was alarmed by my actions.

I squeezed my eyes shut, not knowing what to do. I felt a pressure behind my eyes. All of a sudden, images rushed into my mind and it felt as if an ice cold liquid was flooding into my head. Each image was something I had never seen before. The first was some sort of large weapon-perhaps a missile-and Alfred leaning up against it, smiling a youthful smile with his arms proudly crossed in front of his chest.

As soon as that one came it was gone, replaced by one of a city burning to the ground. Huge black bombs dropped from formidable airplanes above. The streets were being decimated. I could almost feel the heat as the orange flames made a supernovae across the vision in my mind.

Instantly, the image changed to the opposite. There was a snow field in the middle of a blizzard. Someone with a huge fur coat was slowly striding to an isolated building. They were fighting against the cold. A car racing on a highway, heading in the direction of the moon. Grown men with the bodies of skeletons. A group of soldiers reloading automatic weapons, smoking and laughing. A toast being raised. Ships with great plumes of smoke heading for heaven as the lifeless bodies floated in the tumultuous ocean, soon dropping to the abyss below. A man's voice coming through what seemed to be a radio:

_And if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old._

Men sitting around listening in on it, silence in the middle of a city. Tanks tearing through the land. Three nurses rushing to roll a man on a hospital bed, sheets stained red with blood. Berlin and the chancellery, the huge eagle spreading its wings the length of a football field. Arthur, kneeling on the ground, bowing his head, his face utterly defeated and exhausted. The Empire State building collapsing to the ground. Finally, the image of a boy, about my age, with dark hair and blue eyes. He stared at me in my mind for a period of time, his face smiling. He looked off in the distance as he ran his hand through his hair.

All of these scenes flashed before me, and the scariest part was that I couldn't control them. I couldn't control what I was thinking or seeing.

After the last image, the pain abruptly stopped. I opened my eyes which were wet from uncontrollable tears. I was lying out on the floor, mouth agape, completely at a loss for an explanation to what just happened. I was just thankful that the pain had completely dissipated.

Ludwig and Gilbert were standing around me, confusion dancing all around their faces. That same girl, Eliza, was there as well.

"What was that?" Gilbert said, breaking the silence.

I was taking fast, deep breaths, trying to regain some composure after the ordeal. "I have no idea," I answered honestly.

Eliza immediately rushed over to me and crouched down, trying to get me to sit up. My shaking body refusing to cooperate. "I- I believe you. You are not human." I choked out between sobs. "You're right. Please, please I won't yell or anything. Don't do that again, I beg you!" My eyes glistened with tears as I cradled myself, in shock. The pain was completely gone but the memory of it haunted me.

"I didn't do anything," Ludwig said, and he seemed just as confused as I was.

I then looked up at Ludwig, shocked about everything that was happening. "The personification of Germany?" At this point I was ready to believe it. There was no rational explanation for anything that was going on. It was as if that notion put me into that agonizing slideshow.

"Oh so you told her? I wanted to be there when you told her! Dammit, Luddy!" came Gilbert's voice, his alarm melting away and replaced with false indignation.

"Gilbert, not the time!" Ludwig hissed.

By this time Eliza was slowly getting me into the chair. As soon as I sat down in the chair, I blinked. When my eyes opened, a soft golden glow could be seen around each of the three figures in the room. I rubbed my eyes, not believing what I was seeing.

"So is the golden glow aura thing a part of the deal now?" I was a bit more at ease since the pain was gone. The rest of them seemed about as confused as I was.

"What?" Ludwig didn't know what I was talking about.

"Around your bodies. There is a golden outline." I put my hands in my head. "What is happening to me?" Was I going crazy?

The three of them looked to each other in perplexity. "That shouldn't be happening..." Ludwig muttered under his breath. "Something else is at work here."

I decided to shake that off. I turned my focus to understanding what a 'physical personification of Germany' was, as much as I couldn't believe it.

"So what exactly is a physical personification of Germany?" My voice shook with fear despite my attempts to hide it.

Eliza then spoke up. "Let's move to the other room where we can talk civilly."

Ludwig eyed her with a raised eyebrow but then conceded. The three lead me out of the room and down some stairs into a large sitting room. Katarine was there, and for whatever odd reason, there was a red-aura?- around her. I decided not to mention it.

I sat down in a chair while the others sat around me, the soft pounding of the beginnings of a headache starting to wear at my head. Eliza gave me a soft fur blanket to cover my arms, as I was still wearing the t-shirt that I slept in the night I was abducted. I gave her a grateful look.

Ludwig ordered Katarine away.

Eliza then chose to speak. "We call ourselves Nations."

I had to cut her off right there. "Wait, each of you is a-a Nation?" I asked, incredulous.

They nodded, Gilbert clearly enjoying my revelation.

"My name is Elizabeta Héderváry. I am the personification of the nation of Hungary," she continued. She glanced up to Ludwig. "Well, I guess I'm a territory now."

The mood in the room became awkward. Ludwig just kept a straight face and Gilbert started absently playing with a tassel that was attached to the couch he was sitting on.

Gilbert then snapped out of his trance, giving a huge and self-satisfied smile. "And I'm Prussia!" he yelled. His immaturity seemed completely out of place.

Wasn't Prussia basically a part of Germany? It wasn't a true nation anymore. "So are you basically immortal?" I thought to myself how morbidly funny it was that I was suddenly doing the interrogating.

"Yes, for the most part" Germany said flippantly. "The point is there is a lot more to this world than you ever thought possible. We need your cooperation. It will ultimately bring peace in the end."

I let out a mirthless laugh. "Oh yeah, because everything is just dandy right now. My friend got killed by a firing squad right in front of me a couple weeks ago because she knew of a Jew." I then paused, thinking about who I was speaking with "But you've been around long enough. You would know that a Jew is just like any other human being. How could you do this?"

Ludwig looked at me, clearly upset. "It is what is best for The Reich and my people."

"The Jewish population is your people!" I cried, dumbfounded that someone who had been on this Earth for so long couldn't figure that one out.

"Silence!" he then bellowed, not wanting to hear any more of that. "Do you know what it's like for me? I feel every death. Every. Single. One. I've died hundreds of millions of deaths in every way possible. We all have. You think I take this lightly? No. But I endure for the good of my people."

I didn't know what to say to that. Again it just seemed that Ludwig was frantically trying to justify the terrible and inhumane things that The Reich was taking part in. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. That meant that Arthur was a Nation along with Alfred, right? They all had those same, strange eyes. Arthur must have been the personification of England.

England!

I couldn't fathom it, what they had gone through. If he could feel every death, living was in and of itself a form of torture.

 _That_ was why Kauffmann was saying that he couldn't kill Alfred. He's immortal. So that means that Alfred was-America? My head started to feel heavy again.

"I'm done with this nonsensical talk. You can either help save lives, or you can rot for all I care. You are still my prisoner. You have no idea what I can do to you," Ludwig threatened as he rose from his chair.

I drew a breath in, not wanting to think about it. There were so many questions that were going to be left unanswered.

"You're going to have to try harder than that." I didn't know why I was being so antagonistic when I clearly was not in the position to be speaking so aggressively. Somehow it gave me a sort of thrill when I did it. I was playing with death, and I was far too hungry to care at this point.

Ludwig then stalked over to me. I instinctively pushed myself against the chair, trying to become one with the fabric to escape whatever horrors he was about to inflict. He grabbed my arm, and dragged me out of the room. There was no point in resisting, so I didn't.

Elizabeta's voice could be heard as I was taken out. "Where are you taking her?"

There was no reply. We went down a series of steps, down to an area that looked like a dungeon. It was significantly less nice than the room I was staying in. Fine. A little less comfort, that was all. But we kept walking past the few cell-like rooms until we reached the end of the hallway. A very small door was at the end.

My heart rate picked up, terror coursing through my body as my eyes widened at what was in front of me. "No no no no, please!" This was not something I was prepared for. It was the complete opposite of the luxury from upstairs. I began to resist, hitting and kicking, ignoring the pain that shot through my shoulder. Ludwig did not budge. He kept his eyes focused in front of him, blocking out my frantic screams.

He opened the door and shoved me in. I fell to the ground from the rough movement. He then immediately shut the door and locked it behind me.

"Get me out of here!" I screamed, knowing it was useless. A panic attack started coming over me as I began to shake.

The room I was in was small. Terrifyingly small. I couldn't even sit up. I had to lie down because the ceiling of the 'room' was less than two feet high. I couldn't even outstretch my legs. I had to bend them to fit inside the space. There was nothing in the room except for a hole in the ground, which I was guessing was for the bathroom. It was right next to me, and I would have to do some maneuvering to even figure out how to go. It wasn't even like I had waste to expel anyway because of the lack of food and water. But now I couldn't even use the sink water from the bathroom to drink. I could only look up at the concrete right above me.

The ground was so cold against my skin and the thin t-shirt. Already my back was starting to hurt against the hard floor.


	7. Running On Empty

_Consider this_

_Consider this, the hint of the century_  
Consider this, the slip  
That brought me to my knees, failed  
What if all these fantasies come  
Flailing around  
Now I've said to much

 _I thought that I heard you laughing_  
I thought that I heard you sing  
I think I thought I saw you try

_But that was just a dream  
Just a dream_

_That's me in the corner_  
That's me in the spotlight  
Losing my religion  
Trying to keep up with you  
And I don't know if I can do it  
Oh no, I've said to much  
I haven't said enough.

 _-R.E.M_ "Losing My Religion"

* * *

"A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it."

-Oscar Wilde

* * *

Chapter VI - Running On Empty  
-Norway-

The old black phone rattled as if a nearby earthquake came through. My heart jumped at the sound, and I was quick to answer the line that rarely ever went off. Great hope but equally great dread came with it.

"Yes?"

"Norway, we have a bit of a problem."

I winced. He couldn't do  _one_  thing, could he?

My teeth clenched, irritable rage beginning to bubble up. "What is it?" I spoke slow and deliberately.

He hesitated.

"Germany has her."

In fury, I pounded my fist on the table of the study. The sudden sound probably made the heavy-feathered birds of late autumn fly from the trees outside. England could surely hear it through the phone line. Nevertheless, I soon composed myself and kept my voice calm and low. "And how exactly did you manage that, England?"

He let out a breath. "Germany was catching on... I had to bring her into the public eye... He- he insisted."

A wave of nausea came over me. "And how did he find out?"

"I swear I have no idea. I suppose my cover wasn't as good as I thought."

"A human being close to a Nation always draws attention, especially at a time like this."

"I didn't think Germany was  _that_  paranoid! He believes that she's important, but I can assure you that he has no idea why.  _I_ don't have any idea why. I think you're the only one who knows."

"You should have thought this through better." My voice was quick and as sharp as a razor.

"I had no idea about your little plan! Maybe if you told anyone about it, we could have been more prepared!"

"I can't trust you."

"Well now you payed the price."

Silence. England knew he struck a chord. "No, England. We all payed the price. If she is dead or  _unrecoverable_ , there is no hope for any of us; and that I can promise." I breathed in, trying to think of any way out of this mess. "You must get her. I don't know how you'll do it, but you must. Use anything at your disposal."

"But then Germany's thoughts will be confirmed and he will know I am working against him."

"I know. Secrecy is a privilege you lost when you lost her."

"I'll have to call America. I don't think I could do it alone."

"Do what you must. Make the sacrifice. It's crucial that she is recovered," I reiterated one more time.

"I'll get it done," he said with finality; the way I was used to hearing England speak. It calmed me ever so slightly.

* * *

I was greeted with a firm clap on the back as Denmark made his way into the room. His hair was bigger and more obnoxious than ever.

"You're making me nervous, Norge! The last time you wanted to talk with me like this Russia was knocking on Fin's door. Has anyone else told you that you're like an omen of bad news?" Denmark said with that huge smile of his. I still couldn't understand how he could remain so upbeat.

"I think England is on to something. He had this girl who he thinks is magically imbued."

Denmark rolled his eyes. "He's probably just imagining his nonexistent dream girl."

"This is serious, Denmark." I really didn't have time for his infantile jokes. "If this girl is who he says she is, then she has the power to change things, and by things I mean Nazi Germany."

He looked up, his joking demeanor changing. "Get real, Norge. You think that if half the world couldn't change this destiny that this one human girl can? Sorry, but I'm not biting."

I didn't flinch at his words. "She can be our hope, the one I  _planned_  for, all those years ago. What do you have to lose?"

Iceland looked up at me, catching what I said. He was smart. The others didn't give him enough credit.

Denmark looked down at his feet. "I don't want things to get any worse than they are. I don't know who Germany is anymore. There's no telling what he would do if he smells something fishy."

My eyes locked on his. "You look so used and wasted. What happened to the rebel I always knew?" My words were not kind.

"He figured out that sometimes the world was a piece of shit and there was nothing he could do about it," Denmark shot back without hesitation. Where were his jokes now?

I went silent, thinking about his rationale. It saddened me to see him this way. He was always willing to pull off some insane plan, but now he was just drained, optimism and faith ripped from him in the form of starvation and oppression.

"I'm with you, Norway" came a firm and composed voice from the corner of the room. We both turned our heads, looking at quiet Iceland sitting on his chair.

"You are?" I asked, trying not to act so surprised.

A small and cocky smile laced his lips. "I've still got fight in me. I guess Matthias over here is too worried about the big and mighty Germany stepping on his toes."

Denmark gave an indignant huff, and I internally grinned at my little brother.

"I don't know about you," he continued, "but if there's any chance of being able to beat Germany to kingdom come then I'll be the first in line." Ice crossed his arms and shrugged with an air of nonchalance.

"You know Sweden and Finland will be onboard. They're tough as nails. I just thought you would be a bit more ballsy, Denmark," I egged him on, a sly smile on my face. I knew he would take the bait, as he always would.

"Oh don't give me that, Norge! I'm the ballsiest person you know!" He unsheathed his huge axe in a show of strength. I simply cocked my head to the side; hook, line and sinker. After he settled down a bit, he sighed. "Fine. I'll be part of your stupid plan. But just know that if shit hits the fan, you can take your magic and shove it where the sun don't shine!"

I raised my eyebrows, slightly amused by his spark. That was much better than depressed and deflated Denmark.

"I'll also be the first one to go groveling back to Germany because Lord knows I can't take too much more of this," he continued.

My face turned expressionless and my tone was grave. "Trust me, Matthias.  _I know she's the one_. Germany has captured her. He wouldn't have wasted his time if he wasn't certain."

Denmark visibly shuddered. "Damn, I feel bad for her. We going to do anything about it? You know, if she's the chosen one and all?"

"England and America have the lead, and I am going to speak with them later. They're taking control of the situation. Let's just hope that they won't be too late, or else we can kiss our chances goodbye."

"If anyone can do it, Alfred can," Denmark said in a low tone, trying to convince himself of the statement.

"We come in when they get a hold of her. They are going to come up north to hide her out. Finland knows a place that's remote enough. After that, hopefully we'll get some answers. She didn't seem to know anything before."

Denmark paced around the room, filling the room with an uneasy and nervous tension. "This better work out," was all he muttered to himself.

* * *

-Rhea Warner-

Pain.

My mind was becoming consumed by it. I didn't know how much time had passed since I was first crammed into the space, but I knew that it had been days since water, and even longer since food. I didn't think my body could take it anymore. I was certainly dying. My mouth was completely dry and when I pulled my skin it didn't snap back to my body like normal.

Huge sores had formed on my back where the weight of my desiccating body sandwiched my skin with the cold, rigid floor. At first I tried to turn over onto my stomach to relieve some of the pressure, but I could only last like that for so long before having to return to my original position. Eventually it got too difficult to move that much with my injured shoulder and the suicide-inducing thirst and hunger pangs.

I couldn't move at all. There simply wasn't room. For days on end all I could look at was the black concrete a few inches from my face. I seemed to be locked into my position, my joints refusing to work as if I was the tin man with no oil. Bleeding cracks on my knuckles began to form just from the dryness of the air.

I could already feel my sunken cheekbones and my decaying corpse-like body. The agony was never-ending. I wished that I could have become numb to it, but it was always there. I tried to think about things to take my mind off of it but my thoughts always came back to the crushing torment that plagued me.

Panic.

Panic attacks became frequent, although my body didn't have nearly enough energy for them. My muscles twitched and my breathing got heavy. I didn't have enough vitality to scream, and I wanted to conserve what little of it I had left. I had been dry heaving, my body reacting to the extreme conditions that it was in. It was excruciating, and the cramped space made it even worse. I started hallucinating, my brain slipping into delirium. I didn't know what was real and what wasn't.

I saw Arthur coming for me, opening the door. I swear I saw it. I took whatever last bit of energy I had to grab the bar of the door, but then nothing was there. The worst part of the whole ordeal was that there was nothing more frightening than not being able to trust my own senses.

I saw my father being taken away from me again. I was forced to relive it with such clarity that I thought it was real.

Hopelessness rained over me as I began to realize that no one was going to save me from this hell that I was in. I only held on to the thought of my family, praying that they were okay. It also made me wonder why I was being kept. Nothing had even started in regards to Arthur's plan to use me in whatever uprising he was planning. I began to think that I was imprisoned for no reason.

My shoulder had gotten swollen, and to pass the time I tried to re-locate it by popping it back in the socket. It was painful and I hadn't gotten anywhere, for fear that I was going to make it worse. Eventually I gave up, thinking that the risk was greater than the benefit. I didn't want to be hurting even more than I already was.

I was fading in and out of consciousness, each time unaware of how long I was actually out for.

There came a point when I started becoming hysteric, banging my hands against the walls. Screaming for anything, anyone, as if I were a madman being burned alive.

I began to think about telling them what I knew. I didn't even know much anyway. Lie. Anything to get out of here. All I knew was that I could help bring down the Nazi regime. That was it. This much for only that little piece of information? It wasn't coordinates or dates or times or people. But if I told them that they would probably just kill me. Would it really be that bad to die? To feel nothing, none of this anymore? Yes. Yes it would. I had to convince myself, but I didn't know how much longer I could hold out.

I was going to tell them. I had to. I wasn't trained for this. I couldn't take it any longer. Let Ludwig and Gilbert hear the minuscule amount of information that I have. It was all just too much.

My body screamed at me constantly as it started to eat itself for any form of nutrition. The protein in my muscles was being broken down, a form of desperate self-preservation but also self-destruction. If I made it out alive I didn't think I would be the same.

I began to hum to myself to keep the abrasive thoughts and hallucinations away. It was all I could do, the time was passing too fast and too slow all at once. And then it happened...

My eyes fluttered open as I heard footsteps for the first time in a long time. I just accepted the illusion as I had come to accept the rest of them. I was so helpless and in so much pain that I didn't even care anymore.

"She's in there" came Ludwig's voice. It was hesitant and uneasy.

The small door swung open and my heartbeat sped up, but I tried to keep it down, afraid that any small change to my environment would kill me. I didn't even turn my head for fear that it would add to my discomfort.

A small gasp came out from whoever Ludwig was talking to. I couldn't see him because my head was facing the other way on the hard floor.

"What the hell are you doing to her?" he asked in shock. There was no reply.

I could sense the unknown man crouch down, "Okay darling, up you come," he urged softly.

I was not going to move. Realizing this, I felt warm hands under my back through my ragged, thin shirt. They stung like bee stings when they came in contact with my ravaged skin. He dragged me out of the cell as gently as possible and I groaned at the ground grinding up against me. As soon as I was free from the cell, the man lifted me from the floor that I had been laying on for days straight. I flinched as my legs began to stretch out. It hurt. Bad. I let out a faint whimper at the sudden change of scenery, scared to trust if it was real or a figment of my imagination. But it felt so  _real_.

My eyes were trying to adjust to the new lighting, and everything in my vision was a bit fuzzy. He had light brown hair and red eyes, but unlike Gilbert's they had a kind and worried expression. He carried me up to the house, all the while I was only half-aware of my situation.

We reached a room and he put me down on a couch. The light hit my retina like the blazing sun, my eyes burning in reaction to the polar change.

"Get her water. I won't help you unless you do," I heard the man say.

Ludwig didn't argue, and he left the room.

The man then put his hand on my forehead, shaking his head. "Nu pot să cred acest lucru" he muttered to himself.

Ludwig then came back with a glass of water. The man propped my head up, giving me small sips at a time. I desperately wanted to chug the whole thing, but he prevented me from doing so, saying that my body would just throw it up. Sure enough, I did feel my gag reflex in action. It had been so long since I had swallowed anything; even most of my saliva was gone.

"Get her some food." He shook his head in dismay. "God, Germany..." he trailed off with a shaky voice.

Ludwig scratched the back of his head, looking at me with an unknown expression somewhere in between pity, regret, and anger. Ludwig exited again.

"You'll be okay. You'll be okay," the man said. I doubted that it was a promise he could keep.

Once Ludwig returned, the man fed me painfully slowly. "I'm sorry but you can't eat it all at once."

I ate steadily, feeling relieved that I could get something in my failing system. But that also meant that I was going to suffer longer. Even though every second was so miserable, I didn't want to die. I wasn't at that point yet, and I couldn't let myself get to that point.

There was an angelic golden glow that seemed to emit from him. He was my saint and my redeemer, my savior and my liberator. He was the resurrection, as if I were Lazarus, choking on my own mind and my own black conviction. My soul, dripping in nightmares from that coffin of corruption and fear. My religion was him in that moment, but I couldn't bring myself to speak.

I was frenzied and incoherent, or as much as I could be with having no strength. I couldn't keep my eyes open for more than a few moments at a time.

Ludwig came in with some simple food: bread and fruit. I was terrified of him, but I was too desperate for the food to care about anything else. My rescuer fed me at a snail's pace, one small bite every few minutes. It was horrible. Ludwig in the meantime was keeping his distance, looking depressed and slightly horrified by my state. I didn't understand it because he was the one who did it to me. He wasn't stupid.

The unknown man broke the silence. "Okay I'm going to get you to your room. You need to have time to recover before I can do anything."

I gave the smallest nod of my head in recognition.

Ludwig opened his mouth to retort, but something stopped him. He nodded.

The man looked as if he wouldn't take no for an answer. I didn't even know if what I was living through was real. I didn't move, there was nothing I could do. I knew that I was helpless and there was no point for rebellion now, not that I was physically able to anyway.

My body began to shake again, muscles clenching.

At this, the man scooped me up. "Don't bother coming," he said in a strict tone of voice. He wasn't messing around.

"You can't order me like this Romania. You should remember your place-" Germany started to say before being cut off.

So this was Romania then? My mind was too tired to dwell on it much. I just went with it. I was in their hands and there was nothing I could do about it. Yet, an entire nation was caring for me and wanting me saved. A sort of hope came from that.

Romania bared his teeth, his happy and charismatic demeanor melting away. "I will do nothing for you, so help me God."

Ludwig didn't say anything more. Maybe staring at a skeleton brought him down from his power trip.

Soon enough I was in my old room and set down on the bed. Romania then went to shut the door. He then approached me, keeping his face as cheery as possible given the particularly bleak situation. He smelt like warm candles that you would burn in the winter time right before the holidays. He wore a funny little hat that seemed far to whimsical for the situation at hand. For whatever reason it brought me comfort.

"You have to rest now. You will survive," he said as if it were a fact.

I trusted him and found comfort in his words. I didn't know what the coming days would bring, but I knew that for right now I was safe. He continued to monitor my food intake, but some time later, I was out again.

My dreams were filled of happy things, a surprising shift from my horrifying hallucinations. In them I saw my family, my friends, even Cassia. We were all happy and carefree on a desolate, beautiful beach somewhere having fun and splashing in the waves. I wished nothing more than for that false projection to be real.

I only remembered opening my eyes, still half asleep, and saw Romania standing over me. He was speaking in another language, with his hand on my stomach. Almost as quickly as I saw the scene, I slipped back into my untroubled dream state.

* * *

The next time I awoke, I felt like a new person. I was still tired and weak, but all of the pain of thirst and hunger was gone. My shoulder was repaired. The relief that flooded over me was like nothing I could have ever imagined. Still, the nagging thought of what they would do to me sat in the back of my mind as I looked around the room. I was glad to see that Romania was sleeping in the corner. He was on the same chair Gilbert was in when I first awoke in Berlin. He looked exhausted, a drastic change from when I last saw him those hours ago. I took a sip of water from a glass by my bedside. I had never been so grateful for anything in my life.

As soon as the noise of the glass being put down passed through the room, Romania woke up, looking at me with a mischievous yet proud smile. Only then did I notice that one of his teeth was overly pointed and sharp. It was almost sort of endearing.

"I told you you'd survive," he stated simply.

An overwhelming smile came over me, my eyes glossing over with tears of gratefulness. "Thank you," I rasped out, my voice hoarse from its lack of use. It was the first time that I had spoken in days. The warmth I felt from his presence eased me, even though I was far from being out of the woods.

He just bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"It's amazing how much better I feel. Virtually all of the pain I was in is gone. I can't believe my body could recover like that," I beamed, slowly sitting up in the bed. The blood rushed to my head and I soon realized that moving probably wasn't the best course of action. For as good as I felt compared to yesterday, I was still miles from being normal.

He looked down at the ground for a second. "Well, I had to use some of my powers to help you. That's the only reason you feel so good right now." He looked up at me expectantly, eyes giving off a sparkly glint.

"Powers?" I asked. "What powers do Nations have?" I was genuinely curious, but not alarmed.

He shrugged. "Only a few of us. Norway, England, and I can harness the power of magic. Maybe China. That's it. Not that it did any of us any good."

Romania continued on. "I specialize in black magic-but don't worry, it isn't as bad as it sounds. England can use spells, and is quite apt at summoning other-worldly or- ...worldly things. And Norway, well I don't really know what's up with him. He's just a crap shoot when it comes down to it."

Just then it all clicked in my head. England probably wanted to take me to Norway who could use his magic to help us. That was the next phase of the plan.

Romania took my silence as the general human reaction when one is told that magic does, in fact, exist. Oh, and Nations do to. Yeah. That's a thing.

"Anyway..." Romania went on, "I used some of my magic to help heal you. You wouldn't feel this good if you were truly recovering without supernatural aid."

I looked down at myself, making sure that I wasn't glowing or something as a side effect of the magic. After deciding that magic was definitely acceptable because it alleviated the torment, I simply shrugged my shoulders, almost indifferent to it. "Okay."

Romania looked at me with a stare of confusion. "Okay? That's it? No 'this isn't possible' or 'stop with this joke'?"

I let out a weak chuckle. "Well, beings that I was told that Nations exist however many days ago, and I had all that time to myself to think about it, it makes sense. Or as much sense as it can make. The evidence was right in front of my face. Honestly at this point I may be just enough messed up in the head to believe all this stuff."

Romania put his finger on his lips and nodded. "Alright then. Makes my job easier."

A silence ensued that wasn't awkward. I was too tired to concentrate on anything for long periods of time. I lied back, reveling in how amazing it was to have a nice bed to sleep on, food to eat and water to drink. However, the thought of Ludwig- Germany- still plagued my mind. I wasn't out of it all yet. For all I knew he could be planning to put me back down there. I shuddered at the thought. I wouldn't be able to make it if I was sent down there again.

I broke the silence, curiosity eating at me. "Is Lud-Germany going to put me back there?" Although I tried to hide it, the fear in my voice was obvious.

"I sincerely hope not. I'll try everything I can to keep you from that, but you must know that he still has dominion over me. My word only goes so far against his and I've already pushed my boundaries earlier. He will probably ask you questions." Romania then put on a cheerful disposition and lowered his voice to barely a whisper. "Between you and me, I hope you and England do whatever you two are planning." He then winked at me.

I nodded, surprised by his remark. I took comfort in the fact that I had a friend in this house.

He then sighed, his attitude changing. "I am only here because Germany allowed me to be here. He wants me to test you-magically- to see if I can figure out how you are useful to Arthur. He's getting impatient and wants answers. I can't disobey him. He has power over me. As an occupied country I don't have that much free will."

I bit the side of my mouth, worried about what these tests could entail. "Well there's no point in arguing about it because it's going to happen wether I like it or not."

"I'm sorry. It won't hurt, I promise. Germany wants me to perform the tests in front of him so I can't hide anything that I find."

The last thing that I wanted was to be in the presence of that monster. I hated him, and he only added to the fury in my heart. It was such a shame that he couldn't die...

Romania was standing up now. It was very hard to read what he was feeling. "I will come back in a few hours when you feel a bit better. There is food and water on the table. Try to eat slowly. Germany and Prussia will probably be there." He then plastered on a cool smile and left the room.

Eventually I wanted to get up and walk around. Although it would be a struggle, the monotony of laying down for days on end really made me want to stand. I also wanted to attempt to take a shower because I was filthy and stunk from all the days in that dank cellar.

I slowly sat up, propping myself with pillows. I felt a bit woozy, but soon became acclimated to it. I peeled the covers off and put a small amount of weight on my legs that hadn't felt what it was like to stand in a very long time. Just from that I nearly collapsed, and sat back on the bed. It was going to be a tedious process with the pain shooting through my knees because of the static position that they were in. After a few tries, I was finally able to stand although it was uncomfortable. I made my way to the bathroom.

As soon as I stepped in I looked in the mirror, taken aback by what I saw. My eyes were dark and hollow, my bones showing through my skin. I couldn't believe it. The back of my eyes started getting heavy; the pressure of tears building up. I went to get the shower running, and then moved back to the bedside table to get the water and food. I began eating it as if by some miracle I would look healthy and normal again after one meal. I shoveled it in, frenzied and not thinking straight. I leaned towards the mirror, desperately grasping at my face. It was gaunt and sunken in. Tears were coming down full force now. The star necklace that Alfred had given me hung around my thin neck. With raving madness I took off my clothes, the simple sweat pants and t-shirt that I had been sleeping in that fateful night. My body was nothing. My ribs poked through at every point, and my hands looked abnormally big compared to the size of my wrists and arms. The sores on my back were a dark bluish-black color, with red rings. They marred my back like shells marred a battlefield.

I slid down to the floor, naked and crying. I cried for my family who I missed with all my heart. I was crying for Arthur and Alfred. Perhaps even more I was crying for myself, not understanding why any of this was happening. But I was not the first to go through this, and certainly not the last.

I couldn't get a grip. Soon I began to berate myself about how superficial and stupid I was being.  _How could I be so upset about my appearance,_ I thought. _I am alive for now. I survived my second round, and now I'm worried about the look of my face?_  I knew it was wrong but I couldn't stop.

Even though I suffered through what I did, another terrible affliction was my drastic change in appearance. Like a final punch to the gut. My very physical identity was ripped from me, the most basic form of self. Little by little I made my way to the shower. As soon as the water touched my skin, it stung the cuts and sores that were all over my body. I tensed at the searing pain, but eventually got used to it. "Breathe, Rhea. Breathe." I said through hiccuped breathes. Mother had always told me that showers made you feel better no matter what. The hot water made me calm down a bit, and it felt amazing to be clean again. It did soothe me, if only slightly.

After a long period of letting my body absorb the steam, I pulled myself out, combing my hair with my fingers to get it into some reasonable appearance. I had to make up for my emaciated look somehow. The mirror started to depress me. I couldn't believe that I was looking at myself. The person staring back seemed to be so far away.

I didn't want to put on my old clothes, as they were dirty, ragged and torn up. Eventually I just decided to wrap myself in a towel. Decency be damned. I hadn't been treated decently at all anyway.

Soon enough Romania came in, followed by Germany and Prussia. They were a bit taken aback by my clothing choice. Ludwig looked at me with a furrowed brow, Gilbert looked amused and Romania simply smiled his roguish smile. None of them said anything.

"Are you ready, Rhea? That is your name, correct?" Romania asked genially.

I nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be." I glared at Germany and Prussia, craning my neck in such a way as to show them how skeletal and wasted my body was. I didn't know if it was going to make an impression on them. They were Nations after all- they've probably seen stuff like this more times than I'd care to count.

Romania's smile faded to a forlorn look. "Please, lie down on the bed over the covers. I will do the rest." I walked passed them and did as I was told, making sure to make eye contact with Germany and Prussia whenever I could. I was not broken yet.

I lied down, facing the ceiling and feeling apprehensive. Why me? Romania stood over me and prepared himself for what he was about to do. Subconsciously my muscles tensed for whatever was to come.

He closed his eyes and began to speak in Romanian. His voice was powerful and it contrasted sharply with his cheery demeanor. As he continued, the building began to shake. My heart rate picked up and I noticed Ludwig and Germany looking around with concern. Wind beat against me as my hair was whipped around my face and soon I felt as though I was being submerged in an ice bath. Suddenly and without warning, my chest started heaving up. My fear escalated when I lost control of my movements. I turned my head, which probably looked extremely unnatural as my body was being contorted into strange positions. Nothing hurt, but I looked up at Romania with alarm on my face. My panic went unnoticed however as he was too busy concentrating on whatever he was saying. I began to feel the blood pumping through my veins, chugging along like a locomotive. I could feel the pulse in my ears, and I didn't think I could take much more of it in my weak state.

As fast as lightning, everything in the room was outlined in that same gold that I had seen around the nations. It grew brighter and brighter until I had to force my eyes shut because it was as though all the power of the sun was beaming the four walls of the room. I simply prayed that it would be over soon.

"What's going on?" I heard Gilbert's alarmed tone. No answer.

My head felt as though it was being pressed back to the pillow, the frigid chill not going away. The room was so bright a gold that I could feel its intensity through my eyelids. I was scared. Full on, completely and utterly scared. We were now far out of the reaches of rationality and reality. The shaking was like one huge powerful earthquake, disrupting the core of me like the bass of a song. I struggled to breathe, forcing air into my lungs despite my twisted body.

And then just like that it was over.

I could relax. The cold was gone and the golden glow was over. I opened my eyes, relieved that the rational, non-magical physical world returned. I was very weary from what just happened.

"Well?" Germany coaxed impatiently.

Romania put both of his hands behind his head. The three of us all awaited his explanation with bated breath. He looked tired yet intrigued. "I-I don't know what that was. There is clearly something magical about her."

Germany tapped his foot on the ground, unsatisfied. "I'm aware of that. Tell us something useful."

I didn't know what I just went through. Did they see it too? It didn't look like it by the way they were acting. Although I didn't want Romania to relay any compromising information to them, I couldn't help but be a bit curious.

"She is deeply entwined in all of our fates," he explained ominously.

Prussia rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Oh come on! Stop being so melodramatic and start making some sense." He looked at Romania expectantly.

Romania glared at Prussia as if he was dirt on the bottom of his shoe. "It's like nothing I've ever seen before. Humans aren't supposed to be related to this much magic. In fact, they aren't supposed to be related to any. Never in all my years..." he trailed off.

He quickly turned back to me. "Have you noticed anything strange since you've been here?"

I put on an exaggerated smile. "I've been too busy concentrating on not starving to death. Sorry."

Germany gave me a stare that made my blood run cold. His ice blue eyes bore through me, reminded me of the precarious position I was in. He had the power to make me suffer.

I sighed. "Honestly. I have no idea. You can believe me or not. All that I've noticed is that ever since-" I paused, breaking up my sentence. I didn't even want to say  _his_  name. "-that son of a bitch told me about being a Nation, this sort of gold aura type thing started showing up. It's hard to explain. Just to let you all know, I didn't choose any of this."

Prussia smirked. "Hear that, West? She's still got some nerve left in her."

Germany remained silent and donned an irritated expression.

"I'll have to do more tests to see if I can figure anything else out," Romania said to no one in particular.

I didn't want to go through anything like that any more because of the frightening and other-worldly happenings that took place when Romania tested me. However it was painfully clear how little of a choice I had in the matter.

Throughout the rest of the day Romania kept testing me. I became more and more used to the strange magic by just closing my eyes and knowing that whatever was going on was going to end at some point. At least it didn't hurt.

Pure liquid gold warped and changed as if from another dimension, enveloping me in its warm light. The world then turned on its axis, the wall was the floor and I could slowly feel my self slipping off the bed and into oblivion. Soon, I saw images similar to the ones I saw before of people and events that I did not know of. Alfred and Arthur were in some of them, but I couldn't get a grasp on what was going on; the images changed too quickly. The gold flooded my vision again and became molten and hot. I couldn't resist opening my eyes. It was too unreal. My mind felt as though it was being opened, read like a book. I was in a Japanese garden, the water from the ponds all a sheer gold, the fish glittered like diamonds with a million facets. I was on a bridge, shaded by the huge jade colored trees that surrounded the small pond. I looked down to see the metallic silver dress that I had worn that fateful night. A cool breeze picked up, the icy feeling pricking at my bare arms.

Suddenly that boy that I saw from my vision before, the one with hair as black as infinity. His eyes shined at me with a blue so bright, my sparkling dress looked dim in contrast. Inexplicably, I began to feel anxious. "Who are you?" I asked, a bit more defensive than I would have wished. He was breathtaking.

He simply laughed a patronizing laugh, then stalked towards me with such intent that I was taken off guard by his sudden and brash action. Before I had any time to react, he grabbed my wrist and roughly pulled me down to the bridge. He was forcing me to touch the golden water. I resisted, not knowing what was going on, but something stopped me. I could have taken him. I had another free hand and I could of wrenched away, but some force, wether physical or mental was preventing me from doing so.

"Stop." I deadpanned, shockingly calm despite my gut-wrenching fear of touching that water. I didn't know why I was so scared of it, but he was forcing it upon me and I didn't like that. My mind was screaming at my body to jerk away, yell at him, do anything, but it was as if my motor neurons weren't connected to my brain.

Soon enough my hand touched the water and the world was spinning again. Everything blurred around me as it happened. I was back at a different time, wearing different clothes. I did not recognize any of it.

I wore a black pants and a smart looking white shirt and blazer. A small scarf was tied around my neck and my hair was up in pin curls. I was in an ornate looking room, with men all around me. I recognized Alfred and Arthur in the room, wearing military clothing. I looked around, terrified of my new setting but slightly assuaged that Alfred and Arthur were there; for which reason, I did not know. No one seemed to notice me as I started moving around the room. My eyes fell upon the American flag and the British Union Jack.

This wasn't right...

The last time these flags were used formally was before The Fall. What was going on?

Alfred was looking confident and powerful in his sharp dress uniform. Arthur on the other hand was looking a bit deflated and fatigued.

"We'll beat these guys back no problem!" Alfred exclaimed in a tone that was all too confident and positive for the vibe in the room. "Come on guys! There is no way that those Nazi bastards could even think of overtaking me. I'm outproducing every single player in the war, combined!"

A few people nodded in agreement. My stomach dropped. When was this? What year was this? I ran around the room, looking for any clues. I seemed to be invisible to the others there. My eyes danced to a table with a newspaper resting on it. The date read April 1942. My heart stopped. How..?

I frantically glanced around the room. I came to an abrupt stop as the pit of my stomach felt as though it was being launched into space. Standing there, just thirty feet away, was me. But it couldn't be. It was just a projection. It had to be.

My projection ( _me?_ ) sauntered over to the table. "Alfred, darling, although confidence is an admittedly admirable trait, it's wise to go into this without underestimating our opponents."

Arthur glanced over at (me?) my projection with a serious expression, eyebrows raised. Other men looked at me with subtly shocked faces.

Arthur then turned back to Alfred, both hands on the table. "Even though Miss Warner can't seem to take her own advice, it would be smart to listen to her. They can do some damage..." He looked up and those same green eyes flickered with warning and melancholy. "I would know."

My breath caught in my throat. That was my name. But how? This was all too much for me. I started stumbling back, freaking out. This was another hallucination, wasn't it? I was still in that cell. A chair was knocked over as I ran into it, but no one payed any attention.

As if on cue, the image shifted. I was in the dark. "Oh no, no no NO NO!" I screamed. I couldn't be back there. I wouldn't survive! My throat was dry and scratchy as I rasped out those words in terror. Suddenly I saw a man in a dark room. It was that same one who yanked my hand into the luminescent golden water. He sat in a chair, both hands confidently strewn over the armrests. A single light emitted from the wall, creating an eerie lighting in the room.

I looked left, and to my disturbing realization, I saw myself. I was tied down with thick rope to a chair. I was squirming, trying to break free to no use. I couldn't fully see myself because of the dim light. It made my eyes look like shadowy holes in my head.

"Noah, please. I'm begging you. Please don't do this. Oh my God, Noah please!" I was obviously crying to the point of being manic and frenzied. There was no conviction in her (my?) voice as my projection shook in her seat, clanking the legs of the chair with the floor.

The young man from my other visions just sat there with a sadistic smile on his face, seeming to revel in my discomfort. I was so confused. Was this what was going to happen in the future? I didn't know this man, yet he was everywhere in my mind. The situations I was going through were making me neurotic.

Germany walked into the room, hunched over. He did not seem as pleased as the young man was who was sitting confidently in his chair. Actually, quite the opposite. He seemed horrified and broken. His blue eyes dulled to a faint shimmer. He shook his head. Were those tears?

"God help us all," was all he said as he stared up at the ceiling. His voice was quiet and raw, sending shivers down my spine.

The image began to shift again as my frame of view blurred. I had no idea what any of this meant. I felt hundreds of emotions course through me at once, fear and confusion at the top of that list. Exhaustion from whatever magical journey I just went on hit me like a ton of bricks and only amplified my already weakened state.

When the world stopped spinning I was happy to find myself in the room in Berlin. Or, as happy as I could feel when returned to a captor who is willing to torture you for information. The bed spread was completely wrinkled and scattered from what I was guessing my thrashing about. I looked up with wide eyes in response to what I just saw.

Germany was staring down at me, curious and a bit taken aback by whatever he just saw me do. "Well? Did anything happen?" he asked expectantly.

I clutched the comforter on the bed and held on for dear life, scared that I was going to be thrown into some other awful situation that a projection of me was in. But there was one thing that I was sure of: I wasn't going to tell Germany anything. Romania gave me a look, and he didn't have to tell me twice. Did he know what I saw? Prussia and Germany, unaware of the exchange, continued looking down at me, wanting to hear my story.

I gathered my wits and thought carefully about what I was going to say. "I don't know what the hell that was. All I know was that the room felt like it was spinning and gravity wasn't working right." My eyes were wide with fear as I softened my voice. "Please, I don't want to do anymore tests. I can't take it anymore. I'm begging you. I don't have the answers you want." I started choking on nothing, completely drained from the experiences.

Germany put his hand on his head in frustration. "This is useless," he said with irritation, and stormed out of the room, leaving me mollified that he had gone. I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. Prussia quickly followed his brother's footsteps.

I leaned back on the pillows, staring at the ceiling. I needed to rest. Romania was staring at the floor, deep in thought. I didn't want to say anything, for fear that Germany or Prussia would hear. I didn't know what they were capable of.

Romania then looked up at me with a look of pity and sadness that just didn't look right on the man's generally cheery face. He grabbed my hand, his eyes wide. "Oh my God. I am so sorry," he said with a barely perceptible whisper.

Seeing him upset alarmed me. "It really wasn't that bad," I lied. "I'd rather go through that a thousand times over than be stuck down there again."

He let out a short breath. "You have no idea, do you?"

Now I was really starting to become uneasy. "About what?"

He let out a sardonic chuckle. "Seems as though Norway's playing with fate," he muttered to himself.

Thoroughly confused and still fresh from my 'adventures', his words just made me even more bewildered than I already was. Add that feeling to my still far from normal state of health, and I was a complete wreck.

"You'll figure it all out in time. We can't talk here."

Like the swiftness of a freight train, complete exhaustion came over me. I could barely think another thought about the events of the day before my head fell and made contact with the pillow. Before I knew it, I was out.

* * *

The next time I woke up, the sun seemed to be at mid-day. My internal clock was completely screwed up. I still felt miserable and weak and I knew that I wouldn't be able to to walk. I felt worse than I had yesterday. The gnawing hunger was ever present and even though I got liquid and food into my system, my body was far from recovered. I needed professional medical attention.

My stomach felt like a bottomless pit and my mouth was dry again. I moved my arm to feel around for the water glass on the nightstand, but when I found it, it was empty. My heart rate picked up at the thought of being deprived from it. I knew that I would not be able to make it to the bathroom in my state. I groaned as my frail body felt pain all over.

Before I was up for five minutes, Prussia walked into the room. "Germany wants to see you," he said gravely. I couldn't breathe as I thought about what that could mean. I couldn't say anything!

"Where's Romania?" I asked urgently.

"Gone." Prussia said as a matter of fact. His red eyes glistened and his body stood strong, backlit from the sun that shone through the window.

"Wh-what? Please, please don't do anything to me. I don't know anything." I began to choke on my breath as I felt tears pool in my eyes. I couldn't take it anymore. This captivity was eating at me like some parasite. It slowly overtook pieces of me and all I could do was watch. I could tell that I was slowly losing it, along with my ability to survive.

Nations had to have some sort of moral conscience, right?

"Get up!" he yelled, unaffected by my pleading words.

"I can't!" I screamed, but barely any noise came out. "I'm dying!" I clutched at the covers on the bed, overly aware of my scratchy and weak voice. Without Romania's healing I began to feel the toll of what I had been through; my life leaking from me with every breath. Prussia's eyes widened ever so slightly.

"You looked okay yesterday..." he said, as if he didn't believe me.

"That's because Romania was keeping me alive." I could feel myself slipping into the world of madness and death.

Prussia looked as though he didn't know what to do. He was uncomfortable standing there, listening to me beg like a starving dog. He then approached me with a quick stride. I cowered under the blankets as if that was going to protect me. My body flinched as I prepared for the impact.

The steps stopped. "I-I wasn't going to hurt you," he spoke with hesitation. His hands went up as if to prove his words.

My breathing was short and light, barely there. I felt rage and fear mix within me, and I was just insane enough to act on it. "You are the one who locks me up and tortures me to within an inch of my life and you are so shocked that I would  _dare_  think that you would hurt me?" My voice was as weak as a whisper. I could feel my face turning reddish purple and I began to feel light headed. All of the yelling was not good for my weakened state.

Prussia didn't know what to say to that, but instead he just scooped me from my bed, keeping silent. I flinched in his arms, feeling his cold white skin up against my feverish body. My neck fell back as he walked and I was unable to hold it up on my own.

"Don't take me there. Please don't." I repeatedly muttered, knowing that it was no use. He still said nothing.

Finally I was put down in that room, in front of Germany. I couldn't bare to look at either of them anymore.

"She was too weak to walk," Prussia stated, explaining himself.

Germany looked over at me. My head was turned, fixated on the corner of the table to my left. I did not move.

"Please don't make me hurt you anymore," Germany moaned, as if he was hating every minute of it. "Just tell me what I want to know."

A tear fell down the side of my cheek and I didn't bother to wipe it away. I kept my eyes fixated on the corner of that table, unable to look at either of them. "You'll just have to kill me then. I'm on the brink of death anyway. I don't know anything."

Out of my peripheral, I could see Germany yanking on his hair in a frenzied mess. He was desperate for my confession. "Rhea, I don't want to hurt you."

I gave a serial killer smile- full of madness and irony. He knew that I meant 'bullshit.'

He brought his head down in defeat. "Gilbert, just put her back down there" he said with exhaustion and equivocation.

"West, she'll die. Surely we can just keep her up here-"

"SHE WON'T SPEAK!" Germany thundered, cutting Prussia off and grabbing his shoulder. Prussia physically stepped back because of the sudden outburst and contact. Perhaps realizing his aggressiveness, Germany ran a hand through his hair and spoke slowly. "It's out of my control if she won't talk. You think I like doing this?"

Prussia sighed and shook his head. "I don't know what to think anymore. Germany's power isn't going anywhere."

"Just take her down there. I can't take any more of it."

I snapped. Just like that I felt the rumble of the earth beneath me creating a tidal wave of terror that crashed and knocked the wind out of me.

I screamed. I didn't know what else I could do. I grabbed the sides of the chair, screaming and shaking it up and down. "No! You can't do this to me, I will die! Please anywhere but there, please!" I got up in a frantic state, but instantly felt the blood rush to my head and was forced to collapse back into the chair. Prussia approached me with an unsure look on his face, not really wanting to touch me in this state. He was smart. I rocked the chair back and forth, tears uncontrollably falling. "Monsters!" I screamed, hysterical. Prussia reached out to take me. I couldn't go down without a fight. His arm reached out to me and I latched onto it with my long nails. I clawed as hard as I could down his arm, ripping his snow white skin and turning it into streaks of red scratches and blood.

"Ow, shit!" he let out, reeling in his arm. Then before my eyes I saw him heal. Even more hysteria came over me. I was truly helpless. Anything I could try would fail. These were not humans. I kicked and clawed as much as I could before completely losing my energy. Prussia easily subdued me by grabbing both of my arms. I was pinned and could no longer move. I crumpled in on myself, my body completely used up. All I could do was take short and quick breaths. My back rose and fell with a quickness that bordered on hyperventilation. I could not utter another sound as he scooped me up.

The future was bleak for me. I was in way over my head and my worst nightmare was coming back to haunt me. As he took me down and the familiar darkness wrapped around me, I weakly beat my fist against his chest. There was no force behind it. I was despondent and demoralized.

I was put back into my god-forsaken cage, whimpering and unable to speak. I vomited into the hole on the floor when I saw the ceiling only inches from my face. Soon I was paralyzed, unable to move because of my lack of energy. My mind was deranged, as a person's mind got when they were faced with a situation like this. I could only wait to die. There was literally nothing that I could do to make my death any quicker. A cold sweat broke out across my face.

In front of me I saw a fire where I was being burned alive. I yelled but not one sound came out.


	8. Don't Get Too Comfortable

-VII: Crazier Than Once Thought-

-Rhea-

Tick. 

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Even though there was no clock, my subconscious was counting down until the time of my death. Black ink seeped into my soul, crushing me with torment. Despair had already ruined me.

“ _You will die very soon._ ”

I probably looked dead anyway. My head was tilted to one side and I was laying down with a stillness that looked like paralyzation. There was no point in moving; it only made me even more out of breath. My eyes were glazed over as they focused on a small notch that was in the wall. A large fly flew into it. I wanted to kill it and eat it. My body craved something, anything, I just didn’t have the quickness to hit it. The energy expenditure was not worth it. Was it called the foraging theory? I didn’t know, but I had to think of something. The fly then took off and landed on my leg, taunting me. Soon enough my body was going to be covered in them, eating at my dead meat. Eventually it flew back out of the cell and into freedom. 

“Tick tock.”

“Tick tock.”

I was hallucinating again. 

“Ha ha! You are finally going to die! I guess you’ll be the one to see what happens in the great beyond after all. Ha ha!”

There was a glittery white aura radiating from my body. My lips turned up slightly, not worrying about the mirage and its realness or falsity, but I was fixated on the rainbow of light and color that emitted from me. It lit the shadowy cell up like a firework in the night sky. I thought to myself how it couldn’t be real because there was no source of light to allow things to sparkle. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful way to go, wasn’t it?

“Stay with me, Rae. Keep living. Breathe, girl, breathe.”

My mind wandered to James. He was going to make a good life for himself with his education, I just knew it. I thought back to that time when James made me a cake for my eleventh birthday when mother couldn’t. It was terribly ugly, with clumps of frosting and the purple decorations bled into the white base. That cake was the best cake I’d ever had. I smiled vaguely at the memory. 

“Just a little longer, you will make it.”

Victoria was just finishing high school. She was social and all the boys loved her. I remembered her long, bright blonde hair fluttering in the breeze next to the pond by our childhood house. She threaded a long-stemmed daisy through her hair because she was effortlessly beautiful. And then there was that day when she came home, crying and destroyed. Her black mascara had smeared under her eyes. She lost her innocence that night, and she had called me. Her shining eyes were quenched as she was raped and pulled, played with and used like a doll. Soon after she went out into the night, long hair pulled up into a braid, eyes like arrows laced with poison. I had never heard from that boy again. But she had survived. 

My poor mother. This would surely be the end of her. She wouldn’t be able to move on from my death. The Nazis will lock her up. 

I will never experience sense again. Never the feeling of snow on a winter’s day. Never the feeling of love. Never the dewy mornings with brown-meal pancakes on Sundays. I was gone from this earth, my time had come. The inky black parasite was taking me over, slowly turning every cell in my body to ash. 

_CRASH!_  

A thunderous sound came from above me. The earth shook. I stared, still fixated at that niche in the wall. The shaking didn’t phase me. I closed my eyes, willing to be taken from my suffering already. The door at the top of the steps creaked open. Footsteps were racing down, three at a time. 

That hole in the wall was so perfectly circular...

“Rae! Rae!”

What a funny sound. I lifted my shaking hand to touch the niche. The sharp edge scraped on my finger. 

The footsteps thundered in my ear. A loud noise came from right behind me as the door was yanked open. All I could feel was my slow heartbeat picking up the smallest amount. That was not good. Was this it? The final “au revoir” to this god-forsaken earth?

“Jesus Christ!”

I couldn’t see anything. Warm hands came and pulled me from the cell and in that moment a new energy sparked through me as if the touch gave me something to live for. Dark wall no longer surrounded me and the smell of firewood overtook me instead.

“Shit, shit, shit. Oh my _God_.”

He made sure my head was supported and bounded for the door. A sensation in my stomach creeped in on me, the fast movement was something I hadn’t felt in such a long time. I could feel the wind on my face. How long had it been? 

“Iggy, Red-head! Let’s go! She’s barely alive!”

Gun fire ringed in my ears as we crossed the threshold into the main part of the house. A gunshot bolted me from my dazed stupor. Could this be real? I looked up and saw Alfred carrying me. He felt like comfort and home, giving me a bit more vitality. My brain could barely focus on what was taking place.

Arthur was behind a wall, shooting at Ludwig and Gilbert. ‘They can’t die,’ was all I thought, thinking the whole thing to be quite ridiculous and futile. 

“You can’t come in here!” Ludwig exclaimed from down the corridor, panic stricken. He was about fifty feet away. “She can’t escape!”

“Well, she’s escaping,” came Gilbert’s almost sarcastic tone. 

“Kill her!” he bellowed. Immediately after we heard that, Arthur and the other woman darted in front of my line of sight, to protect me from whatever onslaught they had up their sleeves.

“No, West, I-I don’t-”

“KILL HER! That’s an order, Prussia!” 

Gunfire stopped as Alfred carried me with no place to go. We had started to move out.

“Iggy we need to get out of here, now!”

“Does it not look like I’m trying, you git?!” Arthur then took another shot, hand barely recoiling from the power of the gun. The door was just down the hallway and to the right. 

“We’ll cover you. Follow me.” came a female’s voice with an Irish accent that was all too calm given the situation. She then nodded to Arthur, who returned the gesture.

They went out from their wall of relative safety, walking forward slowly, covering Alfred and I. We were almost home free until I saw a red eye poke from around the corner. Instantly, Arthur took a shot and grazed his shoulder blade. With insane speed, Gilbert rolled across the hall, and threw something towards us. I had deja vu back to the night when he threw the dagger in the hotel room. My mind couldn’t register what was happening, but the piece of metal was coming towards me in slow motion. I couldn’t do anything about it and soon enough the metal bar embedded itself into my lower stomach. I let out a grunt as the metal shrapnel impaled me.

“Fuck!” I heard someone scream.

“Go, go, go!”

The unknown woman was in front when we finally reached the door. She kicked it down with such ease. Arthur had his gun and covered behind us. 

“It’s clear!” he yelled.

The cold air of the outdoors slapped me in the face. I began to shiver in my thin and ragged old pajamas. The star necklace still hung around my neck, fluttering in the wind.

“Arthur, now!” 

“Obviously!”

Arthur holstered his gun, and put his hands out. A thunderous sound erupted in the dead of night and a sort of vortex opened up in front of us.

“Go!” he yelled. “I’ll make sure they don’t follow.” 

“That’s not too convincing! You can’t hold them off!” Alfred yelled back.

“Then bloody hurry it up then!” Arthur yelled urgently.

The next thing I knew, Alfred jumped into the swirling physical anomaly. In an instant, the cold was magnified. We were in a completely different place. Snow covered the ground and a sharp wind howled through the desolate landscape. A white forest began one hundred feet ahead. My skin pricked in the sub zero weather. Flakes of snow were falling onto my head and sticking to my hair. I looked down at my stomach and warm red blood was beginning to pool. The place where the metal bar was lodged into me stung as my heart rate began to rise.

“We made it,” the Irishwoman breathed out. 

Alfred was running by now. A small house was up ahead. “We’re not out of the woods yet! We have no time, she’s going to be dead in less than ten minutes!” In a flash we made it to the house. I grazed my hand by the base of the metal and could feel the blood that was soaking my shirt. We finally reached the building, but my pulse was getting weaker.

“There you are! We were beginning to get worried-” a cheery voice spoke out.

“She’s going to die!” Alfred yelled, desperate for a miracle. 

Suddenly the man’s demeanor took a one-eighty, seriousness etching his face after the realization that I could in fact be six feet under in the next few minutes. Silently he motioned for us to follow him. We were lead to a room that resembled a hospital. I was put down on the white sheets, blood draining down the side of my abdomen. My breathing was getting more and more faint, and more and more uneven. The four Nations were rushing about.

“Finland! I need a sterile needle and nylon,” came Arthur’s voice as he rushed through the door to the room. “Alfred, Fiona, hold her down.” He was trying to keep his cool. 

“Glad to see you made it, Iggy.” Somehow Alfred managed a smile as he raced about.

“After what I’ve survived it’ll be a cold day in Hell before I succumb for you.”

“Here,” Finland said. 

“You will have to hold down her legs, Tino.” Arthur quickly washed his hands and then returned to standing over me. “I-I’m sorry love,” his voice shook as he carefully but quickly tore the bottom of my shirt open. 

“Okay America, with your free hand you are going to take that cloth and put pressure on the wound as soon as I get this thing out, you understand?”

“Yeah, got it.”

Arthur spoke quickly, “One, two, three.” He pulled the metal out of my stomach in one fell swoop. I screamed at the searing pain, but my voice was a lot softer than it could be because of my waning energy. The Irishwoman and Alfred had my arms and Finland had my legs and they held me down like concrete holds a dead body at the bottom of the ocean. It probably wasn’t that hard of a task. The Irishwoman, presumably Fiona, then put her hand on my head so I wouldn’t hurt my neck. 

“Shit, it pierced the vein,” Arthur mumbled. “I need a clamp and a knife, Fin!”

The man rushed to get whatever Arthur requested. Alfred then took off his belt and folded it. He put it into my mouth and said, “Bite down on that.” The sound of knives and clamps did not sound good at all. “Try to calm down Rae, the more blood you pump, the more you lose.” I couldn’t heed his warning, there was no way I could be calm.

Soon enough Finland came back with silver items that looked like torture utensils. “Hold her,” Arthur muttered to the others. I felt more pressure on my extremities.

Arthur poured a solution onto the wound and it stung like a million yellow-jackets. I could feel the sweat that began to stick my hair to the back of my neck. I bit down on the belt and a guttural noise came from the back of my throat. He opened the wound slightly with his hand and tried to clamp the vein. “You’re not going to like this, but I’m going to have to cut you open a bit more to get to the vein.” I squeezed my eyes and began to feel the tears fall. It was not a pleasant experience at all. Unlike the pain of hunger and starvation that was dull and continuous, this was searing and sharp. Immediate.

Arthur then turned and I saw him grab the knife. My eyes went wide. He cut a small incision as quickly as he could in order to have the vein be more easily accessible. 

“Focus on me, Rae. Right here. You’ll be okay. You’re all good,” Alfred tried to distract me from the madness-inducing pain. His blue eyes were almost enough to do it, too. My muscles clenched as I felt the clamp in the wound, stopping the blood flow. I could feel my eyes roll to the back of my head. I would give my left hand for some propofol. 

Arthur began to sew the vein. It wasn’t as bad because there weren’t that many nerve endings on it. “It’s not holding,” he said, a bit frantic. “There’s still too much blood.”

I felt my head begin to spin and the light-headedness took over. My eyes began to flutter. Realizing we had no time, Fiona cried, “Just use magic! It’s too late for doctoring, you have to!”

Arthur seemed to hesitate for a split second before nodding and taking a step back. He began to utter words that had to be Old English. I felt a fiery pain in my abdomen as I continued to squeeze my eyes shut and bite down on the belt. I could feel my skin coming together with a blueish light. After a few seconds that felt like eternity, it was all fixed. The bleeding stopped. Arthur was breathing out heavily as though he had used up all of his energy. The pain was gone. 

“Finland, get her an IV. She needs fluids and nutrients. I don’t know the last time she’s had a meal, but judging by appearances, it’s been a while.”

Finland whisked away and came back with a bag of clear liquid and a needle. He inserted it into the vein on top of my wrist and I flinched ever so slightly at the pinch as the needle broke the skin. Immediately after that, I blacked out.

 

* * *

 

I woke up feeling groggy and out of it. My eyes were sticky and I felt greasy and dirty. I went to scratch my hand but pulled back when I came across the taped down IV. The sun was low but the light shown onto my face. Alfred stood and approached me, donning a warm smile.

“Yay! You’re up!” he beamed at me with eyes as blue as the ocean. “We saved you! I’m the hero! Did you _see_ how I carried you out of Germany’s lair?”

I leaned back on my pillow, drugged and lethargic, but there was a vast improvement in my overall health compared to before. How long had it been anyway? As the previous few days’ events came back to me, I had to make sure that this wasn’t a dream. I pinched and prodded myself, doing anything in order to receive some kind of reassurance that I was going to be okay.

“You guys have a lot of explaining to do,” I gurgled out. I was a bit shocked as soon as the sentence left my lips because it sounded as if my voice couldn’t form the words correctly.

“Easy there, you’re on a morphine drip so you’re pretty high right now,” Alfred mentioned, pointing to the IV bag.

I put all my concentration in forming coherent sentences. “How long have I been out?”

Alfred just shrugged his shoulders. “About two days. I wanted to be here when you woke up just in case you didn’t remember. I didn’t want you to freak out about anything.”

I wish I had forgotten everything that happened to me. None of it was a particularly pleasant experience. I pulled the covers off and glanced down to my wound. A scar in the shape of a perfect straight line covered where it once was. 

“Where are we?”

“We’re in a remote place in Finland, north of the Arctic Circle just outside of a town called Ivalo,” Alfred explained, his hands stuffed into his pockets.

I shifted in the bed, covering myself in the warmth of the comforter. “Can you reduce the morphine? I want to focus on talking,” 

Alfred was caught off guard. “Uh, yeah sure- I guess. Let me go get Arthur.”

Soon after I heard quick footsteps beyond the door. “You should have told me when she woke up you _idiot_!” Arthur hissed from down the hall. 

“She just woke up like five minutes ago!” 

“Exactly!”

Arthur came bursting into the room, hair a bit disheveled and his sleeves rolled. He rushed over to me.

He paused once he caught sight of me, his mouth turning into a fine line. “How are you feeling? I’m so sorry about everything. I couldn’t help you when they bombarded the room, it won’t ever happen again- I promise,” he rambled on. His green eyes were alight with fury as he turned to Alfred. “I can’t believe they went that far. In all my years I’ve never heard of a Nation taking such direct measures.” He analyzed my state a little more closely, noticing the discoloration of my skin and the bones protruding from my hands. He clutched his fist but then tried to focus on something else and began to adjust the IV. 

“We’re lucky she isn’t dead,” Alfred added. “If Prussia’s throw was just a few inches higher...” he trailed off. 

Arthur’s eyes narrowed as he stood up, his hand still on my head as if he were checking my temperature. “It’s hard for me to believe that Prussia would miss. He was practically obsessed with war and fighting back in the day. Hell, he taught you enough that you could beat _me_.”

Alfred ran a hand through his hair, sighing. “Well that just opens another can of worms. He could just be getting weaker.”

“...Or that bastard spared her life for some strange reason.” 

A short yet loud laugh emitted from Alfred’s lips. “I highly doubt that. He’s vicious and unrelenting. I don’t think Prussia’s the type to have a sudden pang of sympathy turn into the survival of an enemy”

“It doesn’t matter anyway.” Arthur’s voice got quiet. He then addressed me, probably figuring that now wasn’t the best time to discuss the inner workings of other Nations. “Rhea, I brought your suitcase and as much of your belongings as I could from the house.” A half smile was on his face.

“Thank you” The tinniest bit of comfort came back to me as I thought back to all my things. I couldn’t dwell on it for long before my stomach gave me the all too familiar grumble.

“Can I have some food?” I questioned, craving a meal. Although I didn’t feel like I was starving to death anymore, a snack would be great.

“Yeah, but you have to eat slowly. Your body has regained strength and has been constantly fed nutrients, but I don’t know how your stomach will handle it.” Arthur replied. “I can get you some-”

“I’ll go make it.” Alfred cut in. “You’d probably kill her quicker than anything she’s been through.”

Arthur was incensed again, fuming as he glared at Alfred. “My food is fine!” he cried out.

“You keep telling yourself that,” Alfred chirped as he clapped Arthur on the back and bolted out of the room. Arthur sunk into a chair, massaging the bridge of his nose. He then stopped abruptly, “Oh, I almost forgot.” He then proceeded to reach the inside of his coat and he presented me with my gun that I had left in the hotel room. “I thought you might want this back,” he said, placing it on the table next to my bed. I smiled, grateful to see it again. It was my father’s after all, and even though it wouldn’t do much against Nations, it gave me some semblance of comfort.

“Thank you, Arthur.”

* * *

 Most of my sluggishness wore off in a few hours after the reduction of the morphine. I finally felt able to talk, and I was going to get answers if it was the last thing I did. Arthur and Alfred were sitting on chairs by my bed, agreeing to answer my questions especially after all I had been through. I decided to start with the basics.

“How did you find me?”

Alfred gave an arrogant smile. “Simple! That necklace I gave you back in DC has a tracking device. I knew where you were as soon as Iggy called me saying that you had been taken.” Arthur rolled his eyes at the use of the nickname. 

I instantly grabbed at my necklace, still with me even after all I had been through. I ran it through my hands, feeling the smooth and simple silver edge. A slight sense of security washed over me because of it, but then I had to ask, “Then why’d it take so long?” 

Arthur took it from there. “It is quite difficult to get Alfred across the pond.” He eyed Alfred with a look that I didn’t understand. “Also, both Ludwig and Gilbert are more powerful than us, so we had to plan things perfectly or else none of it would have worked out.” 

I decided that knowing all of the specifics wasn’t on the top of my ‘important things to know’ list. I exchanged glances with both of them. “...And you are both Nations?”

Alfred and Arthur’s eyes darted to each other, neither of them answering the question quickly. “Where’d you hear that?” Alfred asked hesitantly.

“Germany told me. It’s also the only thing that can explain the things I went through and saw. Besides, in the heat of the moment you weren’t too keen on keeping up appearances.”

Arthur sat up in his chair, back straight. “Well I guess it’s out then. Yes, we are Nations, ” he stated simply, as if he were discussing the weather.

“And magic exists.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes. Magic exists.”

I looked up at the ceiling, my mind could barely comprehend or understand any of it. “How?”

Alfred shrugged. “We’ve been around for a while and represent the ideals, symbology, lands and people of a Nation.”

My mind was going a million miles an hour, finally able to wrap my head around it since I wasn’t too focused on not dying of hunger. “Who knows of this?”

“Only a select few. Extremely important political leaders and the likes, that’s it.” Arthur said. “Now I believe that is enough questions for now. You need rest.” 

“So you’re The United States of America?” I asked in wonder, completely ignoring Arthur’s suggestion. How could this be real? This thing that looked like a man before me had been around for hundreds of years, experienced the rise and The Fall. Centuries of turmoil, peace, innovation, people- it was incomprehensible. 

Alfred smiled down at me, flashing bright teeth. He got up from his chair and approached me, putting his hand on my head. In that instant I felt the comfort and trust of home, his firewood smell embracing me. My worry melted away at his touch. I could feel it now. Instantly I felt a deep connection with him that transcended all that I had been through. He was the land that I was birthed in and he represented the founding of a new democracy. After a few seconds he took his hand away, but I still felt his presence within me. An overwhelming sense of patriotism came over me as I was inexplicably proud and in awe to be in the same room as him. 

After I shook myself from my daze, I turned to Arthur. “And you’re England? Once the mighty British Empire.”

Arthur’s eyes flickered a small green light, and a solemn smile crept on his face. He bowed his head slightly, remaining in his chair. He sat tall and proud. Both Arthur and Alfred looked different all of a sudden, as if this new knowledge changed my perception of them. They seemed to be insurmountable and powerful forces that controlled the very fabric of this earth. They could crush me with a finger, as if I was a mere pawn in their games of chess. That must be why their eyes were so strange. Every nation had those eyes that seemed to be saying a thousand different things all at once. I sort of ethereal, weightless feeling overtook me. There was almost a surreal godliness to them, the ones to pass judgement and to change the world. Knowledge surely flowed through them like water flowed through the Nile. Truths that no one had ever known were inside them, a mosaic of undiscovered knowledge, the very threads of which made up their being. Golden auras emitted from them, giving an otherworldly quality. I suddenly felt inadequate in their presence, my weak and recovering form paling in comparison to them.

England broke my awestruck gawking. “In an hour or so Norway should be here to help us. You can meet him then, and perhaps you will understand things a bit more.” A pause. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, but it has been bothering me. About the first day at my house, when I drugged you-”

“What did you do?!” America yelled out, shocked. He looked about ready to throw a punch. 

“Calm down you blithering idiot,” he said to Alfred. He then turned to me, effectively blocking Alfred from the conversation. “Anyway, it was a magical potion of sorts to tell me if magic is involved with you. If you pass out, then you’re positive for magic. The strange thing though is that the subject isn’t supposed to remember any of it, and you did.”

“Wait, but if magic exists- how do you not just put things in your favor? Why does all of this have to happen?”

Alfred rolled his eyes and muttered, “It doesn’t exist...”

“Oh would you shut up for three seconds?” Arthur jabbed at him. He then turned towards me an continued. “Not all of us can use magic; in fact, I think there are only four Nations who can use it with any usefulness: Norway, Romania, China, and myself. Magic is not supposed to be used to manipulate the natural world. It can create unintended consequences that can be very grave. It’s only supposed to be used as an absolute last resort- and even then, it can’t sway battles or anything like that.”

“Magic stems from our country’s cultures, so it’s more a byproduct than something that we just have. That being said, we don’t know everything about its ‘rules’ and it certainly can’t effect hoards of people. Messing with the natural world is not something we ever want to do.”

“But you definitely messed with the natural world- that opening to Finland, healing me- and now I have some sort of magical properties?!” I asked in astonishment. 

“And I hope that nothing bad comes of it. I had to save you no matter what because Norway stressed how important you are. It should also be worth noting that I’m not nearly as strong in magic as I once was after this highly unfortunate political situation.”

I only stared, both trying to process the information and also just not knowing what to say.

Arthur sighed and conceded defeat. “I’m sorry,” he said, but I could tell that he didn’t say that too often. It was almost as though he had to force himself to say it.

“I guess I just have to accept it then. I accept your apology.” 

A somewhat awkward silence ensued before I said, “I’m going to need to take a shower and make myself as presentable as possible.” I looked down at my skinny arms, shivering at the sight of myself. “This really sucks.”

Alfred instantly noticed my lack of confidence and discomfort. His cheery and borderline obnoxious attitude shifted in an instant. “Germany and his bastard of a brother are going to be dead once I get through with them.” His change in tone was so drastic that I winced, shuddering beneath it. I could only imagine what he meant by that. America balled his hands into fists and his knuckles began to turn white. England stood up, regal as ever and simply said, “With time.” His voice was cool and calculated, the weight of retribution coating those words. He was clearly enraged, but he didn’t show it as outwardly as America did. He gave a quick glance in my direction. “You’re safe now, Miss Warner.” With that he left the room, leaving a wake of vengeance.

Alfred had explained the shower situation to me and made sure that I was able to get to the bathroom without killing myself. After, I was left alone with my reflection. Again that pit of sadness overcame me as I stared at my body. It was better than the last time I saw it in the bathroom in Berlin, but not by much. My eyes were still dark and strange looking, capillaries poking through my white skin. I had lost that youthful and healthy glow and instead my skin was looking dull and discolored. After a few moments, I decided that this wasn’t going to last. I could work through this and I could make it. I was lucky to be alive. The same couldn’t be said for millions of other unfortunate souls that were sent to Germany’s grasp. 

Once I got out of the shower I could see a slight new vigor and suppleness to my skin. I was going to recover. Yes. I will make it. 

After I was ready, Alfred was there to explain the situation to me. “All of us are now going to talk in the living room. A few of the others have come as well.” He looked at me, putting both hands on my shoulders. “You can trust all of us. Anything you know can be used to help the cause, so please try to be as open as possible so we can help you.” He looked me dead in the eyes and bent down to my level. “That being said, if ever you feel uncomfortable, all you have to do is let me know. I don’t want you to be upset. I promise I’ll keep you safe from now on, and if anything makes you angry, or annoyed, or upset, just tell me. I know it will be hard to deal with England in the room.”

I snorted and  gave a small smile at his gesture. “Thank you. I think I’ll be okay. It will take a lot more than that to bring me down.”

“We’re just going to discuss our next move since we already made quite an impression on Germany the other night. You don’t have to speak if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s fine. I want to destroy them. That’s what I’m here to do and I will help you in every way that I can. I can’t back out now anyway. They’ll find me.”

“Alrighty then! I like your attitude!” he expressed before offering his hand for support to help me walk. “Let’s get down there.”

 

* * *

 Downstairs in the cozy living room sat Arthur in a big chair next to the fireplace. He was sipping a cup of tea, staring into the flames, captivated by the dancing flickers of light. His face was expressionless and unmoving. Ireland was sitting across Arthur, a hard expression on her face. She was beautiful but also gave off an aura strength and coldness. Parts of her red-brown hair were tied back in ornate braids, and the rest fell down her back. The dim light of the room reflected in her green eyes as she stared at England in an almost hostile way. England didn’t seem to pay her any mind. Sitting on the couch was Finland. He was smiling warmly but he looked as though he had more pressing issues on his mind that were distracting him. Surrounding him were four other people, all with varying shades of blonde hair who turned to me as soon as I made my less than overwhelming entrance.

“So that’s her,” one of them blurted. He wore a long black coat and a small matching hat- a strange combination. He had wild hair that still looked good despite the sporadic nature of it. Most curious, he carried a large battle axe. 

I opened my mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say to that. The rest of them just stared at me with power-filled eyes. 

Finland then got to his feet. “This is Rhea Warner,” he introduced as he motioned towards me. 

I gave a short wave, suddenly feeling very intimidated with the situation I was in. None of the people, or Nations, took their eyes off of me. 

One with strange purple eyes came forward to shake my hand. “Hello,” he said in an accent I didn’t recognize. “I am Iceland.” He had white hair and a puffin on his shoulder. His eyes were purple, but he looked a little younger than me, maybe eighteen years old? They were all so out of the ordinary.

I took his hand, surprised by the cold. It was inhuman how freezing his palm was. I flinched slightly at the unexpected feeling. Iceland just turned the corner of his lips up and I didn’t know if that meant he was amused or offended.

“And I’m Denmark,” the one with the untamed hair said. He gave a big smile and shook my hand. “Don’t let these idiots freak you out. They’re just trying to act tough in front of the new girl.”

The tallest one with a dark blue coat darted his head towards Denmark with a speed that surprised me. He didn’t look like he was messing around. Denmark didn’t seem to pay him any mind though. After giving him a glance that would make me shake with fear, he turned back to me with an odd slowness that completely contradicted the fast movement just moments before.

“I’m Sweden,” he said with barely any emotion. He shook my hand stiffly, nodding his head once in recognition of me. 

The shock of actually meeting physical nations hadn’t worn off yet as I stood practically speechless in the presence of these beings. A strength radiated from them that I could _feel_.

Sweden stepped back and the Scandinavian countries parted themselves, leaving a Nation with a blue sailor’s hat that looked as if he were analyzing me. He slowly stepped forward, still eyeing me. I would have thought it rude if he wasn’t a Nation. Now I just accepted the fact that strange was the new normal.

 Denmark rolled his eyes. “Stop being so weird, Norge. She might run away.”

Norway completely ignored him and put out his bare hand for me to shake. “Norway” was all he said in introduction. When I shook his hand, a faint charge went though me. It must have been something related to his magic. I looked down at my hand, worried that something had happened to me. Norway just maintained eye contact, unfazed by the interaction.

“Well that was the most awkward thing I’ve ever had to witness,” America blurted out. “You Nordics are still weird as ever. Must be something with the cold.” He then grabbed me and lead me to a chair by the fire. He also tossed me a blanket and I smiled to myself at his thoughtfulness. “So you know this but that’s England,” he explained, motioning to Arthur. “If he ever annoys you- which will be often, trust me, you can just call him Iggy or talk about his bad cooking. That’ll shut him up.”

Arthur looked up, glaring at Alfred. “And if you ever want to upset America, just remind him of the fact that he is not the hero because if he was, we wouldn’t be in this bloody mess, now would we!?”

That wiped Alfred’s smirk right off his face, his eyes searing, but he normalized quickly. “This is Ireland, or Fiona. It’s funny to see England and Ireland interact. Bring popcorn when it happens.” 

Ireland rested her chin on her hand, warm eyes and one raised eyebrow staring at Alfred. She flipped her hair back, almost as if she was daring Alfred to continue to speak about her.

“Okay... You’ve already met the Nordics. And then there’s me! I am The United States of America, basically the best one here. If you have any questions, just come to me.”

“You are absolutely intolerable.” England mumbled under his breath, not in the mood for America. “We are here for a reason so if you would shut the hell up, that would be fantastic.”

Alfred just huffed indignantly, settling down in his own seat. 

“Did you notice it too, Norway?” England asked once everyone was settled. 

“Yes, I haven’t experienced anything like it before.”

“So she’s our girl?” America asked. “I was right?”

“Yes, America. It looks like your findings were correct,” Norway replied. I didn’t know what to think of him.

America fist pumped the air in a gesture that contrasted with the heavy mood of the room. 

Norway and the rest of them ignored him. “I know I may be asking a bit much from you so soon after your escape, but if you know anything, or if anything seemed out of place during your time in captivity, please let us know.”

I eyed America, and he nodded, reassuring me that they could be trusted.

I took a deep breath as I thought back to the events of the past week, the painful images all too clear in my mind. “The only thing he questioned me about was what my true purpose was. I honestly didn’t know anything about any plans, and I didn’t say anything. Just kept my mouth shut.” I was proud of that fact. I was strong enough to resist Germany’s torture. 

“That must mean that he truly doesn’t know anything about you. If he knew about the magic then you wouldn’t be alive right now. He went easy on you,” Denmark spoke up.

I swallowed, not wanting to think about what he would do if he was going hard on me. “It didn’t feel like he was going easy on me,” I pointed out, a bit of anger boiling up. He thinks that confined spaces, starving to death and lying in one position for days was easy? Plus the added fear of finding out that Nations exist? Oh, and magic’s real too.

“Well, he did known that magic was related to me, I think.”

England quickly glanced in my direction. “What? How?”

“As soon as they told me that Nations existed, my vision changed. Every Nation was outlined in a sort of gold aura that I had never seen before. I accidentally freaked out about seeing the gold, and I guess he figured out that there was something up with me.”

I could feel the energy in the room die as I told them and I became worried.

“That doesn’t tell them anything though, right?” I asked, hoping that I didn’t just give up some classified information.

“Even the smallest amount of information can have bad consequences,” Sweden said in a hushed tone. 

A nervous energy consumed me. “I-I didn’t talk about everything that happened to me though. Besides seeing the gold light, I saw images.”

Norway’s head snapped to me. “What kind of images?”

“I-I don’t know. Destruction. I think it was the war.” I put my hand to my forehead, trying to think back to what I saw. “There were flashes so vivid they seemed real. I saw bombs being dropped from the sky, and the collapse of the Empire State Building, people running through the streets....” America’s head sunk down as he dropped eye contact with me. 

“That was the worst day of my life,” he muttered to no one in particular. 

I gasped. “They were real then? You were in them too. Arthur, I saw you surrendering to Germany and I heard a speech by Churchill, was it? About fighting until the bitter end...”

Thick air filled the room. No one was joking anymore. Everyone was quiet, reminded of the things they wished to forget. I needed to give them hope, something, anything. I wracked my mind for any information that I saw that could be useful. There was nothing useful that lied in the past. The Nations knew about it all anyway. Suddenly, a memory popped into my head. “Oh!” I cried out, remembering something that I prayed would be information they could use. “A young man, about my age. He had dark hair and blue eyes. It was so strange because all of the other images passed by quickly, or they were of fast actions taking place, but this one lasted longer. It was just of him. The strange thing about it was he recurred in my second bout of images when they came to me again.”

Norway turned to me, a look of shock combined with deep thought came over him. “No...” he breathed.

“What is it, Norge?” Finland asked.

He started shaking his head. “Rhea, tell me everything. I need to know. What happened?”

I began to feel apprehensive and rushed, trying to think back to everything that happened. It was difficult because I felt as though my mind was diseased from all that I went through. I still wasn’t one hundred percent. I grabbed the hair at the top of my head, a sense of urgency emitting from Norway. “Ummm, okay, there was a female nation, El-Eliza? Hungary I believe? Do you know her?”

“I’ll be damned” England said. “We know her. Not hurt as much by the war as some of us were,” he bit out.

“Continue, Rhea. What happened?” Norway edged me on.

“Uh, she seemed not okay with what they were doing to me. She only really was with Prussia, but when I passed out because of my visions, she helped me to a couch and tried to take care of me as best as she could, but she couldn’t do much with Germany there. She yelled at Prussia regarding what they were doing to me. She didn’t like it. At one point she was about to leave because she couldn’t stand it and Prussia kept calling out to her, trying to justify himself or something.”

“He still loves her,” Iceland said monotonously. 

“We can use that,” England added. “She obviously isn’t thrilled with them, and she’s a weakness to Prussia.” The others nodded.

“Wait so Nations can love each other?” I asked, incredulous.

After some silence, Finland responded, “Yes. In many ways we are more human than you.”

I didn’t know what Finland meant when he said that, so I just continued on, happy that I was of some use. “After that they sent me down to the basement. I was placed in a cell that was barely bigger than me.” I had to pause because the memories were too frightening. I hated thinking about it.

“You can skip over that part,” America said, sensing my uneasiness. He seemed as upset as I was to hear about my situation in the cell. I flashed him a grateful look.

“I don’t know how long it was, probably a couple days, but at one point I heard someone come down. He got me out of the cell and carried me back up to the house. It was apparently Romania, and he told me about magic.”

“They used Romania?” Denmark asked with confusion. “They must have broken him.” I could see Denmark shudder and the others stare at the floor. What did that mean?

“He was nice to me, and made them feed me. I was taken back up to the nice room with a bed. He saved me from death-”

“You can’t trust him, Rhea. He does what is necessary for himself. He’s too far gone after what Germany did to him. He gave away our position at the hotel by magically bugging the room, remember?”

I nodded and took his words into consideration. Whatever he was, he still saved me. If it was for his own self-interest or for me I didn’t care. “Germany called him over to perform tests on me to figure out what I was hiding.”

“Can you remember any of the tests he performed on you?” Norway asked. His voice was steady but there was a shimmer of hope in his eyes.

I looked down at my hands. “I don’t know what the spells were called but I do know he was upset with Germany. He threatened not helping him if he didn’t feed me. The first thing I remember was passing out on the bed and then I woke up. He had his hand on my stomach and was saying things in Romanian, I guess. That was it. I think that that was just so he could keep me alive. The first real test he tried was something where he started speaking in Romanian and the ground began to shake. Wind blew and all I saw was gold in my vision. My chest sort of heaved up and I felt really cold. That was it. Romania said that he didn’t know what happened, just that I was involved with magic. He also said that I was deeply entwined in your fates.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” America demanded, wanting more definitive answers. I just shrugged, at as much of a loss as he was. Norway and Egnalnd both were looking down, perhaps trying to think of what spell it was. 

“He tried another one on me and that is when the different images came through in a similar way as before, but they were stranger and I was involved with them. In the first one I was in a sort of Japanese garden and that same boy, the one with dark hair and blue eyes, approached me. He then grabbed my hand and forced it to touch the golden water under the bridge we were standing on. I tried to resist but he was too strong. As soon as I touched the water, I was in a room with you two,” I motioned to Arthur and Alfred. They both looked up, a bit perplexed. “It was 1942, April, I think. You were both in a room and Alfred you were confident about being able to beat back the Axis. But the strangest thing happened. I thought that I wasn’t able to see you and you weren’t able to see me, like I was traveling and just a passive bystander. But then I saw myself in the 1940’s, and I was talking to you as if I knew you. Then the image switched to me in a dark room. I was tied down and Germany was there. I was crying, freaking out about something. He looked almost broken? But that same boy was there with the dark hair and he seemed cocky and arrogant, like he was happy with my pain... Oh now I remember! His name was Noah. That’s what I called him in the vision. Noah.”

Norway looked up, eyes wide with horror. “Herregud,” he said, haunting realization coming over his features.

“What is it, Norway?” England asked, wanting to know what Norway figured out.

“She is the right girl,” was all he said as he looked at England, his eyes flickering. England seemed to cast him a knowing look, and his eyes darted from point to point in front of him. The room was relieved, but I still wondered what that meant. How was I the right girl?

“Do you know him? Noah?” I asked, wondering if I was speaking when I shouldn’t be.

Norway just looked up at me, his face grave. “He is no friend of yours. Did Germany or Prussia make any mention of him?”

“No, not that I know.”

“Good. Then they haven’t made the connection. We must get started sooner than later. We have a lot of work to do.”

The other Nations nodded solemnly, understanding that this was the real deal. This had to work or else... I didn’t want to think about it. 

My heart rate picked up as the aura in the room turned into cold and calculated determination. 

“I’m sorry to do this to you, but Norway and I must test you further. We need to see what you are capable of.” Arthur said. I could tell that he didn’t want to do it. 

The reservation in his voice made a chill come over me. “It won’t hurt though, right?”

Norway answered for him. “We will try to make it as painless as possible.”

That didn’t sound very convincing. America then spoke up. “What are you going to do with her?” he demanded menacingly. His once happy personality was completely washed away. “I don’t like the sound of what you two are planning.”

England sat up in his chair and gave America a threatening look. “I am going to save us before we are all destroyed.” His emerald eyes flashed. “Don’t use that tone with me. You said you were willing to risk it all. If you aren’t, you can leave. Have fun with Kauffmann running you into the ground until you die.” His words came out fluidly and calmly, but with an undeniable sharpness that filled the room with a tension that could be cut with a knife.

America got up from his chair, power in his stance. “If she doesn’t want to go through with it, then you aren’t going through with it. I don’t care about the fucking Nazis. She’s mine remember?”

I saw England’s chest rise and fall with his breathing. He then turned his head towards me, his movement as swift as a blade. “Then it’s your choice, Rhea. But know this: we need the information we might find by testing you to bring them down. There is no hope without it. I promise you we will keep it as painless as we can.”

All eyes turned to me and I felt sweat on the back of my neck, but I already knew my answer when the prospect was first brought up. “I’ll do it. I was already tested many times before and the cellar was much worse. I want an end to this Empire.”

England gave a small, close-lipped smile at my words. “Thank you. I am deeply sorry you are involved in this mess, but you can bring a world of freedom from the German rule,” he added with hope. 

I nodded, knowing that this was what I had to do. The room was quiet again as the flames of the fire danced before me, heating my body in the frozen north. “There’s no going back now is there? I’ll return and either we will triumph or I will die.”

“We will do everything we can to help you,” America said with strength and conviction. His eyes were in shadows and I couldn’t make out his irises. All I could see was a flickering point of light, the reflection of the fireplace where his eyes were. It was an eerie look, his eyes looking like black sockets. “You won’t be wasted, I’ll make sure of it.”

I swallowed, my mouth feeling dry. I was important to them, but I was fragile. I was nothing in the grand scheme of things. My life will be over in a blink of an eye to them and they have to continue living in this cold, amoral world. I was a tool to them, a very valuable package but I will pass on as fast as a train speeding down the tracks.

 

* * *

It had been an hour since that heavy conversation, and all I wanted to do was to stop thinking about all of it. I couldn’t believe what I had gone through already. I clutched the warm blanket around me as I curled up, daydreaming into the warm light from the fireplace. I tried to emotionally prepare myself for what was to come and attempted to convince myself that the worst was over, but there was nothing I could tell my mind that would help. A feeling in my gut told me that this was only the beginning- and it was. I couldn’t prevent myself from feeling depressed. I didn’t know if I would ever see my family again as the winds of change seemed to be just too cruel to me.

Ireland, or Fiona remained in the sitting room with me. The other Nations had gone their own ways, to perhaps talk with each other, go to the kitchen or listen to the radio for any news.

I glanced over to her, and she stared at me with a small smile, her porcelain face half shrouded in shadow. She was beautiful, her slender frame and young face gave an air of youthful vigor, but within her eyes I could see a certain complexity and age that had seen death. 

“I’ve always wanted to visit Ireland,” I spoke up in a meek attempt to break the silence. “I’ve heard it’s so beautiful and green.”

“It was,” she said. Despite her pessimistic words, her tone did not show it. She spoke as if it was a fact of being. “Still green I suppose, though it is quite depressing.”

“Everywhere is depressing,” I added cynically. “I think it would be a nice change of pace.”

Ireland smiled sweetly at me and said nothing in reply, but her expression turned hard as stone when she saw England.

America came busting through the door to the living room that we were sitting in, England and Iceland following closely behind. 

“I know you probably still feel like crap Rae, but I’ve got a treatment that hasn’t failed in all my four hundred plus years of life!” England rolled his eyes, but an uncharacteristic broad smile was on his face. 

I was relieved and overjoyed to see the Nations a bit happier than they were during our previous conversation. Alfred then slammed a huge platter down on the coffee table in front of us. 

“Nordics! Get your asses in here! You don’t want to miss this!” America bellowed for the missing Nations.

In front of me sat a plate of what looked like cookies. I looked on in curiosity and excitement, wondering why these cookies were so special. Meanwhile, the rest of the Nations walked in to the cozy room, wondering what was going on. 

“So while you were knocked out, I was able to make these!” he exclaimed, motioning to the platter.

“Cookies? Thank-”

America gasped in mock horror. “Cookies? Cookies?! These aren’t just any cookies, Rae. These are _chocolate chip cookies_. My secret recipe. I made these for President Teddy Roosevelt! This is a life-changing moment for you!” 

I was amazed at everything, again the whole Nation thing hadn’t fully sunk in. But Teddy Roosevelt? That was pretty cool. It would also be the second time in my life eating chocolate. I had heard about these cookies but I never had them before. My excitement increased tenfold. I was starving and nothing sounded better right now. 

“Iggy even helped me out, but just let it be known that if anything is wrong with them you know who to blame,” America addressed with pursed lips, preparing for England’s rebuttal. 

“You would only let me mix!” he cried out with indignation. “What could I have possibly done wrong?! I’m not that bad with baked goods!”

Alfred winked at me and I laughed, completely flabbergasted that here were two Nations in front of me, both world powers less than a hundred years ago and arguing like children. It cheered me up and they successfully took my mind off of everything that was going on.

“Well what are you idiots waiting for?” Arthur added. 

Next thing I knew, hands from all directions came in to grab a cookie. Iceland came over to me and gave me a glass of cold milk and another one of hot chocolate for later. I was excited to get those calories in me, as my skeletal frame was not something I wanted to look at any longer. “I still don’t understand why Americans like to drink cold milk straight...” he said under his breath, but a smile was on his face. 

“I like this you guys!” Finland finally added. “All of us getting along!”

Everyone seemed to be a bit more at ease- or at least putting everything that was going on in the back of their minds.

I didn’t know if it was the relaxed vibe or my growing comfort, but I had to ask, “What are your best memories?” I was too curious.

They all looked up at me, no one speaking. I felt that I suddenly stepped out of line somehow.

After a brief moment, England said, “There are lots. I can’t just choose one.”

“Then tell me about one. Any one.”

“I loved the twenties,” America chimed in. “Sort of a glimpse of what could have been, you know? Nothing more fun than going to those speakeasies and having the time of your life. You could actually see how progress was being made.”

“I miss when it was you and I, Norge. That was pretty fun. We did everything together! I think we made a good team,” Denmark said. The slightest smile played at Norway’s lips.

Finland thought back. “Beating back Russia was a high point for me, I’d say. Don’t know what I would’ve done if I lost.”

“Yeah, you lucked out of that one, Fin,” Denmark added.

It was all too real, and too amazing. Conversations popped up between them about remembering the ‘old days’. I reveled in this moment. These people- Nations- that I barely knew were trying to make me feel better. Even though there was a hole in my heart because of my family and the hardships I had already went through, they were trying to fill that hole if just a little bit. They had to be my new family, the last family I ever saw if I were to die out there. But no more thinking of that. I wasn’t going to dwell on what could be at a time like this. I was going to soak up every minute of it because I didn’t know how many more times like this I had left.

 

* * *

 “So do Nations get hungry? Do you have to eat?”

America was lying on the floor by the fire, propping himself up with a pillow. We had been talking for an hour now. “Well, we don’t _have_ to eat, but I don’t know who the hell wouldn’t. Eating is the best thing in the world.” He paused. “But we are hungry during famines. Famines suck really bad.” 

The Nations all nodded in agreement. 

My curiosity was flowing now, finally other matters could be set aside and I could ask whatever I wanted. “So you don’t truly _know_ that many humans?”

“Yeah,” Denmark decided to answer this one. “We obviously see and observe humans all the time, but it’s a bad idea to get close to one, even just a little bit. We sort of get overly-attached. Even though we aren’t human, I would argue we are more human than any of you. Emotions can sometimes get in the way, so it’s just best that we don’t associate with your kind.”

“Well that’s not really going to work well with me in the picture.”

“Yeah well desperate times call for desperate measures.”

I nodded my head, and then I remembered. “Wait, Art- England, so that pirate- the one in the book- was you?” I questioned with shocked realization.

“Of course it is. I was once a pirate a long time ago.” 

“That’s insane!” I couldn’t believe it. All these different lives that they could lead.

England smiled with the tiniest bit of arrogance. “It was morally questionable, but quite fun.”

We talked for a little bit more until Finland came into the room. “Hey, I think you guys will want to check this out. Come outside,” he asked with a big smile on his face.

America grunted. “Do I have to move?”

“I don’t think you’ll want to miss it.”

Slowly I got up, feeling a little bit healthier than I had before. Norway came over and helped me up. “We don’t want you getting hurt now,” he mentioned, his eyes muted and his tone soft.

We were lead to the coat closet and Alfred grabbed a huge fur coat for me. I put it on and it nearly went down to the floor. I bundled up as we were lead outside, Alfred supporting me by holding on to my arm. As soon as we stepped outside into the cold air and snow, an amazing sight took my breath away. Blue and green lights moved across the night sky. 

“The Northern Lights” Finland said. “Or, the Aurora Borealis.” I couldn’t believe it. The colors moved slowly across the stratosphere like a wave of the ocean. A lake was just a hundred meters ahead, the reflection of the lights in the water made the image look never ending. 

All of the Nations were standing out there, staring in wonder at the beautiful phenomenon. They had probably seen it a hundred times before and yet they were still impressed. 

“Pretty, ain’t it?” America commented, the lights reflecting in his glasses. 

“It’s spectacular.” 

A peaceful silence set in. I was not bothered by the cold breeze that stung my cheeks and whipped my hair to the side. It was a moment that I felt free. The Nazis were not here, Germany wasn’t here, no one was here but the eight of us. So much of the world was under scrutiny, their own lives as cyclical as a clock. Right here we transcended time and my mind was set free. I was in charge of my own destiny and I knew that we would change the world.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a light chapter (at least towards the end), but don't get used to it! I know this one was a lot of exposition but bear with me! The next chapter is one of my favorites I've written so far! :)


	9. The Olden Days

CHAPTER VIII: The Olden Days  
-Prussia-

 

The thick layer of cigarette smoke in the bar was beginning to annoy me. Dammit, why did people feel it necessary to fuck with my personal space? I was clutching the glass of beer in front of me, waiting impatiently. My foot tapped to a mute rhythm as I kept looking up to the entrance. God, Gilbert. Get a hold of yourself. Other customers shot quick glances in my direction, but they weren’t looking for long. My uniform made them put their heads down quick. I internally smiled to myself as the patrons snuck worried glimpses at the silver skull. 

Finally the small bell rang as the entrance door opened and in she came. Although I felt a bit relieved, soon after apprehension fired in my nerves. Her long brown hair framed her face perfectly as she walked. She was dressed in civilian clothes, with a long navy double breasted coat and heels.

Fuck. 

Why did I do this again? 

Her expression was not one of glee or happiness. She looked at me with a fiery glare to her eyes. I quickly got up to greet her, but instead she ignored me and went to sit down across from me. This wasn’t going to be good.

“What?” she hissed. “I’m here.”

“You’re late.”

“Sue me. Or better yet, kill me.”

I sighed. This was when people would be smart to stay clear of her.

“Eliza-”

“ _Don’t_ call me that.”

Fine. She was really going to pull this on me? After what I did for her? Practically saved her from the clutches of The Reich. Without me she’d likely end up like dear old Roddy.

I narrowed my eyes. “I can call you whatever I wish,” I said with venom, no longer trying to keep cordial.  

She looked up at me without moving her head. Her eyes peeked at me under her eyelashes and she looked positively murderous. I cleared my throat, noticing the strange looks that the bar-goers were giving me. “It would have been easier if you would have just met me at the house,” I began, keeping my voice barely above a whisper.

She gave a shrill, mirthless laugh that almost made me jump. “I really don’t want to go there. Probably run into more people you’re torturing mercilessly.”

“It’s not-It’s diff-” But before I could respond, a waiter came over to the table to get her order.

“I’ll have a gin and tonic,” she said politely in perfect German, shifting her attitude for him. I decided to wait until he came back to continue talking.

“I hate Berlin,” she added as if only to spite me.

I leaned back in the booth. “This isn’t my city. It’s West’s,” I clarified emotionlessly.

She made eye contact with me and I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Soon enough, her drink came and she grabbed it, taking a sip all while still looking livid.

I sighed, realizing she wasn’t going to start the conversation or become more amiable. “Look, West’s just having a hard time right now and-”

She scoffed and muttered, “I wonder why.”

I ignored her and continued. “-it hurts him. I know he doesn’t want to do it. He’s acting out because of the pressures of The Reich.”

“That’s been the excuse for Nations since the dawn of civilization, and you and I both know that it’s bullshit. We aren’t puppets. He didn’t have to do anything to that human.” I cringed a bit. Her eyes went dark and her voice got deathly low. “You act as if he is suffering and we aren’t. For as much as he is hurting, me and all the others have it ten times worse.”

I couldn’t believe her. How could she have any sympathy for an _enemy_? “You’d be happy to know she escaped the other day then. Those other Nations risked a lot for her. She could be a threat-”

“Could? Maybe? Stop making excuses for yourself. It’s not a good look for you,” she said with a bite.

I shut my mouth and started breathing heavily, not in the mood for her anymore. 

She continued: “What he is doing is awful, and I’m sure he’s going through Hell. But he still believes in his government that destroys him! What matters are the actions we take. He didn’t even have to get involved with her. Just let her go. Nations just don’t torture people. That’s what governments do- humans do. Not Nations. And if the girl is a success then maybe he can go back to feeling normal.”

I looked up to the ceiling, keeping my town even. “That’s treasonous talk, Hungary.”

Her teeth gritted. “What are you going to do? Starve my people? Manage to kill me like you did Ukraine? Hold me in one of your cellars like you did to that girl?”

My fists clenched and I could feel my blood run hot. “You know I would never-”

“You aren’t in charge here! He’s using you, can’t you see? You aren’t even a Nation anymore! Open your eyes!”

I slammed my fist on the table. “ _Maul halten!_ What are you?! You are no Nation. The only Nations are Germany, Japan, and Italy. Soon enough it will be just Germany!”

She sat back in her chair and the rest of the bar got silent. I moved my head to the center of the table. “This world is a better place because of him.”

She didn’t back down. “He is dying. Every day your god forsaken Empire kills thousands of their own people. It is eating you and him alive. You are insane to think otherwise. Yet the rest of us are dying even faster. You sit here seeking pity from me?! About his tough life? Look out of your fucking window. You won’t stop until we’re all dead. All this power, all this land... it still isn’t enough. It will never be enough for you and your _brother_ ,” she spat out.

“Watch your tongue around me. Even though we’ve been friends, don’t think that you can just run your mouth like that,” I said harshly. I almost regretted it too. Almost.

She just shook her head. “I don’t even know you anymore. We are not friends.” With that she got up and left with a swift movement, leaving me with an even worse feeling in my stomach. Before she left she turned one last time and added: “I’m starting to think that it was merciless of you to spare me.” 

The clack of her heels followed her out as she made her way to the streets of Berlin. That went the exact opposite of how I wanted it to go. I couldn’t help but think about her words. I _saved_ her. It isn’t so bad. It isn’t that bad! The smoke in the bar was so constricting by now that I swore it felt as if someone was trying to choke me. Why couldn’t things be like they once were between us?

I had to get out of there. I hastily threw down some money to pay for the drinks and exited the bar, putting my hat on in the process. The cold air slapped me in the face. I just- I had to leave! The odd stares continued as the one-dimensional streets bustled with pedestrians. Blonde hair and blue eyes was all I saw. I was the different one. I was the disease with my fucked-up skin and terrifying, unnatural eye color. The uniform protected me. That was it, wasn’t it? They would be tearing me apart if it wasn’t so! One mindset turns people to believe anything. I breathed in heavily, still unable to get enough air into my system.

How could she treat me like that? We’d been through so much. Rage grew as the back of my neck began to heat up. I had to get to West.

* * *

The car rolled up to the enormous driveway, the help bustling to open my door. I made no recognition of them as I stormed into the house, making noise as I threw my hat down on a nearby table in the hallway. 

“Would you like me to take your coat, sir?” a man asked, hesitating because of my obviously sour mood.

“No. Where is my brother?” I asked with little patience, becoming even more upset that Ludwig just _had_ to have the help over today.  

“Last time I saw him he was up on the Grand Balcony,” he responded without missing a beat.

Without another word I hastily made my way down the hallway and up a back set of stairs, fuming. The double doors were opened for me as I stepped onto the balcony. Ludwig was standing, admiring the view of the garden and Berlin out in the distance. In his hand was a small glass of Schnapps. 

“Ah, bruder. There you are. Where have you been?” His easygoing tone completely contrasted with what I was feeling.

“Why do you feel it necessary to have the servants here today? We’re Nations! We should have as little human contact as possible!” 

He just turned to me with a smile on his face, breaking his gaze with the view. “Why are you so upset? It’s such a nice day,” he responded, ignoring my words.

I ignored his odd demeanor as it was quenched by my fury. “I met with Elizabeta today. She’s so ungrateful for what I did for her. You’d think she’d be a little more accepting of the way everything is!”

Ludwig rolled his eyes and turned back to facing the view. “Gilbert, you need to let her go.”

“What?” I spluttered. Since when did this conversation turn into Ludwig’s insane ideas about my feelings? “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I know you too well for you to lie to me. You’ve loved her for hundreds of years, longer than you’ve loved me, and I’m here to tell you that whatever it is-.”

“Oh _shut up_.” Now he was being downright delusional. “You know how it is with our kind. It’s nothing,” I insisted. 

He finally came to his senses and decided to drop it. “So, what could she have possibly done to make you so upset?”

My hands clutched the banister, a breeze pricking through my uniform. “She-She just doesn’t understand what it’s like for us. It’s hard for us too-”

Ludwig gave me a quizzical look. “What do you mean ‘it’s hard for us’?” 

“You know what I’m talking about. It hurts. Every day.”

Ludwig sighed, and with an odd gesture he motioned me to sit on one of the chairs. “There is no pain, Gilbert. It is only the knowledge that we are creating a new vision of the world. Can’t you see? Everything is better than I could have possibly imagined. An Empire that stretches entire continents! America, the Soviet Union, England- all crushed. Our technology is getting better and better. No one will be able to stand in the way of us, not even Japan. Soon it will all be ours. Germany’s! And we will be able to enjoy the Third Reich for a thousand years to come!”

His attitude was off-putting, as if he spoke from a Nazi propaganda film reel. West wasn’t like that back in ’38. 

His smile fell into a thin line. “I’m glad you brought up the disconcerting comments that Hungary mentioned to you earlier. You must let her go” he said those words again.

The hot anger was rushing out of my body and it was being replaced with a nervous tremor in my heartbeat. “West, it honestly wasn’t that bad” I said, trying to rectify the situation. “It’s just me being melodramatic, I’m sure” I added, as an unknown fear crawled up my spine. 

Ludwig’s eyes narrowed, scanning my face to see if I was lying or not. Deciding it best to change the subject, I asked, “Any news on the girl?”

He sat back in his chair, relaxed, hopefully forgetting the earlier comments. “Romania can’t seem to trace where they went.”

“How do you know Romania is with us?”

A dark shadow came over Ludwig’s face. “Trust me, he is.” I thought it best not to ask any more questions pertaining to that matter. I could only wonder what Ludwig did...

He continued: “We know that England and America are trying to plan something. They must have faith in that girl because alone they would be crushed again. There is something about her.”

“Did you alert the Führer?” I asked, not really wanting to know the answer to it. If he did, repercussions would be serious, nearly lethal for the once strong Nations. Nazi Germany would use all resources at their disposal to suppress and remove the threat. It also meant that there would be more than just the Nations, us and that girl involved.

“No. The Führer doesn’t need to know anything right now.”

I internally sighed in relief. I shuddered to think what would happen to the people of those countries if they were caught. The Führer knew of Nations, and he had an uncanny ability in knowing exactly what made them tick. Plus, unlike other Nations, the Führer had even more at his disposal to wreak havoc on the people of those lands.

“Are we going after her?”

“I don’t think we need to,” Ludwig said. “Romania says he remembers something from The War. A human named Noah.”

* * *

 

-Rhea-

It had been a week and I could already see the attachment the Nations were talking about earlier. Alfred barely left my side as I was recovering, and for that I was grateful. He kept me company and made me laugh when I was feeling depressed about my family or my life back in DC. They all made sure that I had enough to eat to gather my strength back up. I was starting to acquire a taste for the raw herring that Finland served sometimes. At first he was wary about having me eat it, worried that I wouldn’t like it, and Alfred insisted that it was “too gross for words,” but I didn’t mind it. I guess I could appreciate food a lot more after I had been deprived of it.

For now Alfred was sitting on the chair, reading a book on what looked like military strategy. It was in German.

“Did you know Germany before?” I had asked hesitantly. It was probably a bit of a sore subject to discuss.

“Duh. It’s been the same people since forever. There aren’t really a lot of new Nations that come along, although Germany was a pretty new addition. His brother had been around for a long time though.” Alfred was looking out the window, being unusually reminiscent and serious. “Germany was cool. He was always that guy who kept everyone on track, you know? Probably still is. When shit hit the fan he was always the one to never be phased by it.”

I nodded although it was hard for me to comprehend how he could have ever been ‘cool’.

“So Nations can’t really control what their government is doing. That’s why he tortured me, because he had to?” I asked, still not fully understanding how someone could act so polar opposite.

“No, it’s really hard to explain. We all have our overarching personalities that we keep throughout our lives, no matter what’s going on in our countries. But a Nation’s actions change to reflect their government’s or people’s position. Yet, a Nation is still a free entity. They are not forced to do anything.” Alfred’s voice got low and his jaw clenched, making me feel the power and emotion behind his tone. “Germany wasn’t forced to do anything to you. No one held a gun to his head, so to speak. In fact, it’s extremely rare for Nations to take direct measures like he did with you. Nations rarely ever get involved with humans like he did with you. That concerns us. It’s what he will say though, after this mess blows over eventually. It’ll be his excuse. Just like it has been everyone else’s justification in the past. Because no one can really live with themselves after taking part in bad shit like that. And to be honest, I think this takes the cake on ‘the worst thing your country can possibly do’. Every Nation has done some shitty things, but this is a 1,000,000/10 on the ‘shitty things to do’ scale. I don’t know how he’ll be able to live with himself after it’s all said and done.” He paused and sighed. “Some things in my past still make me sick.” He spoke with a tone of deep regret that made me on edge.

“Anyway, we all say that we couldn’t control what we were doing. I think a better way to think about it is that when bad stuff happens in a country, like Nazism, a Nation’s frame of mind shifts. Germany reflects the values and beliefs of his people, and right now his people are racist scum. Therefore, he starts going along and believing it. However his past knowledge of events is still reminding him, somewhere deep down, that what he is doing is fucked up.” Alfred looked up at me. “I feel like that made no sense whatsoever.”

I knit my eyebrows together. “Basically, Nations start believing whatever the people believe. So, Germany does think that that what he is doing is okay, but on some level there is definitely a part of him that questions all of it, sort of like a human conscious?

“Yeah. Every Nation has been through it. No matter what Nation, no one is perfect. I went through it during the The Trail of Tears, slavery, among other things. Although unlike Germany when he directly hurt you, I wasn’t directly involved in the issues of my country. I wasn’t the one who passed the laws or broke the treaties. However many Americans at the time believed that it was the right thing to do, so I started accepting the forced relocation as a necessary evil for the growth of the country. Now I feel terrible about it, but back then I just sort of suppressed that voice telling me it wasn’t right. But Rhea, you must understand that we aren’t lawmakers. Germany has no way to stop the Nazi party, even if he completely rejected Nazism, which would be impossible. We are symbolic.”

“It should also be noted that we Nations are pretty intelligent in that sense. We know that racial superiority is bullshit, as we’ve been around too long to believe in any of that Eugenics crap. Germany is just going along with it because half the world is subjected to the Nazi racial ideal.” He took a deep breath. “Sorry if I’m just blabbing on...”

“No, it’s interesting. Since I’m involved with this whole situation I think it’s important to know as much about Nations as I can,” I reasoned, although my curiosity was piqued.

A faraway look flashed in Alfred’s eyes and sadness swept over. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. With each passing day I feel more and more of the American people believing in the Nazi and fascist ideas. I feel a stronger pull every day. It’s still not enough to make a big difference, but it’s scaring me. I don’t want to go down that path.”

The pain in his voice alarmed me. I didn’t want to see him get uncertain. Alfred didn’t seem like the type of person to just confide in people about his inner demons. Since I met Alfred, he always had a plan. He knew what was going on and he was confident in his abilities to pull things off. It made me want to give anything for him to be happy again. He was my rock, the representation of my home, of what I wished America was instead of what Kauffmann and that damn ideology morphed it into. 

Seeing America upset made a part of me deeply disturbed, so I didn’t prod anymore. I knew enough for now. There was silence for a few minutes as I stared at the painting above the fire in the living room, daydreaming. 

Suddenly, Alfred turned to me, his eyes bright and his face happy again. “We’re going to be the heroes, Rae. Iggy and Norway are going to crack your code and you’ll be like a superhero.”

I smiled at his round-about way of comforting me. It worked. I hoped against all hope that whatever was special about me was enough. 

I didn’t even notice Norway enter the room until he announced, “Rhea, we’re ready for you. Are you ready?”

My heart jumped to my throat, just like when the doctor calls your name for surgery. I smothered those feelings in my head and put my brave face on. I was tested before and it wasn’t painful, per se.  

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I said as I pulled my mostly-healed body up from the chair. 

“Good. Follow me,” was all he said. I couldn’t read his face. He seemed so neutral. Where Alfred was excited and loud, Norway was mysterious and confusing. 

“You’ll be fine, Rhea! Trust me, if they do anything to you I will personally kick their asses!” Alfred called as I left the room. 

Norway lead me to a different part of the house, into a dark room. Arthur was waiting there.  

“Please, lay down on the bed.” Norway instructed. 

I’d like to think that it took a lot for me to be self-conscious, nervous and uncomfortable but as soon as I stepped in the room I was feeling all three of those things. I chastised myself for feeling so paranoid as it wouldn’t be the first time that I put my trust in Nations. I went to lie down, forcing myself to not make eye contact with either of them. My chest rose and fell in time with my fast heartbeat. 

“Why so nervous?” Norway asked me as England shot him a look that said ‘what the hell is wrong with you?’.

“You can trust us,” England said, trying to comfort me. 

Questions flew through my mind, but Norway cut off my thoughts. “Let’s get on with it.”

“I’m going to remind you again that if you can make this as painless and quick as possible, that would be great.” I subconsciously clutched at my shirt.

“We’ll do everything we can,” England replied.

I closed my eyes, letting air escape my lips. Without warning and before I could say anything else, a loud crash came down around me as Norway lifted his arm above his head and threw it down to his waist. This triggered a magical power that seemed to reverberate through the room as the shock wave lifted me from the bed and I was suspended in mid-air, a few feet above it. A book, pencils and other knick-knacks that were on the desk and night tables were also stuck in the air with me. The movement was so quick but now as I was floating time seemed to stop. 

My body was paralyzed in space and I couldn’t move. _Thanks for the heads-up_ , I thought. 

Out of my peripheral, I saw England begin to walk around the bed to the other side. He moved his hand across his shoulders and whipped his arm towards the wall in front of me. A cold wind came over me as my hair began to move with it. Images began to be projected onto the ceiling above me as I was forced to stare at them. That same gold light started to break through the room and suddenly my eyes shut and I was in dream world. 

* * *

 

 

-England-

“Okay, let’s see what we’ve got here,” I muttered to myself before I began to concentrate on the spell to summon the images forth. While I was doing that Norway was going to find her magical center.

“You do know who she is, don’t you?” Norway asked, breaking me from my concentration. 

“What do you mean? I’ve never seen her before in my life.” I looked over at him, questioning what he knew. “Do you know something?” I asked urgently.

Norway just stared at me with an uncharacteristically smug expression. “I guess I’m pretty good at magic then after all.”

“What are you saying?” I really had no time for this. I didn’t want to keep Rhea in this state for longer than needed.

“She was born in the ’20’s, England. _She’s_ the one I imbued with magic. She is our last hope.”

“...What?” I asked, shocked at the revelation as memories came flooding forward in my mind.

“I gave her something that I knew would be useful to us.” 

What was going on? I was lost. “Then why are we doing this- trying to figure out what she can do when you have known this whole time?”

“We need to give her something else...” 

“Are you insane? You know what happens when we start playing with the laws of nature. Nazis win. Plagues happen. Does the Butterfly Effect mean nothing to you? We can’t do that!”

“You think I’m happy with this? It’s simply making our chances better. Even with her ability she is far from a guarantee of pulling this off. Besides, Germany will have one soon and he _won’t_ care about laws of nature,” Norway said harshly, daring me to question his methods. It made me on edge, he wasn’t usually confrontational. 

“What do you mean ‘Germany will have one’?” I asked, incredulous. What else was he hiding from us? “He had no clue about who the hell she was. He’s ruthless, but he wouldn’t hurt her if he had nothing to gain from it.”

“Perhaps he doesn’t know now, but he will, soon. Haven’t you thought it odd that our hiding place hasn’t been found? He has Romania with him. I know it. It has to be.”

My mouth was agape, completely taken aback by his words. “Who is this person Germany will have? And I just thought that the magic was strong.”

“Germany has Noah. And please, neither of our magic can be that strong.”

I wracked my mind as that name came back to me. That was the person Rhea was remembering. She wasn’t hallucinating, she was remembering. 

“Noah? But-but how?”

“Some act of a supreme power? I don’t have a clue. You know all that far East jargon- the yin and the yang? Aristotle and The Golden Mean? Newton’s Law, ‘every action has an equal and opposite reaction’? He is her opposite. Can’t fuck with nature unless you want nature to fuck with you right back.”

“He is the one from The War?”

“Yes, and I would bet that he had something to do with our defeat. The Fall of America was inexplicable. The Allies were winning. Something else _had_ to be in play, so I prepared with Rhea.”

Suddenly, it clicked. “I-I remember her. She worked for American intelligence though- didn’t she? How?”

“I don’t know, but I feel that if we can see those memories and whatever else she has stuck inside that brain of hers, a few of our questions can be answered.”

I nodded. So Germany was going to have his own pawn? This just got a little stickier. “Wait, so what is her ability? What can she do?”

An uncanny smile crept up on Norway’s innocent-looking face. He had planned for this for over seventy years.

“She knows who’s a good guy, and who’s not.”

* * *

-Hungary-

My heart was racing at the sight of the door. It was no different from any other time. My fingers ran across its cold metal as I hesitated, not wanting to see what was on the other side. Taking a sharp breath, I knocked, using the overly-ornate and old door-knocker. A smile full of longing came over my features as I remembered how beautiful and elaborate he wanted everything to be. 

The door opened and I was greeted by a familiar face.

“I’m glad you could make it.”

“How is he?” I asked, fearing that I already knew the answer.

“About the same.”

“Tell me the truth.”

She let out a sigh. “Honestly, maybe a little worse. But he’s still stable. I’m still able to feed him, though he doesn’t have an appetite,” Yugoslavia confessed.

“Take me to him.” 

She lead me into the opulent home, once a place where I had spent so much of my time. Now there was a depressed and sick feeling to it. The walls and portraits didn’t seem to have the same kind of luster they had before. If he were better he would never let his house fall prey to the entropy of the universe. As I passed by the Music Room my breath hitched in my throat. The enormous room had a ceiling that was three stories high and windows that stretched down the walls. Furniture with dark wood sat there, unused for quite a while. The clouds from outside left a gray cast in the room, making it look dark and dank. The grand piano sat there, unused for so long. Dust collected on the black lacquered surface that made it dull and sad.

I could remember the events in that room, from Banquets of State to parties Austria reluctantly (he actually liked them very much- he would just never admit it) hosted with just the Nations. I could almost see it now. The candelabras lit up and the soft sound of the orchestra in the background. Luxurious food and dresses with trains that were three meters long. The Grand Chandelier was still there, hanging limp and lifeless from the top of the ceiling where artwork was painted on like the Palace at Versailles or the Sistine Chapel. 

The last time I was there for a party was in late 1899. Prussia was there and that was the first time he formally introduced us to Germany. He had looked just a little younger than he did now, resembling maybe eighteen or nineteen human years. Even then he was more built than Prussia and was so calm and polite... 

  _“Elizabeta!”_

_Before she turned she already knew who was calling her. A smile that she couldn’t resist lit up her features._

_“Gil!” She cried as she rushed over and hugged him. Austria was probably rolling his eyes somewhere at the ‘improper’ greeting. Besides, he never liked Gilbert. They all had a history and some of it wasn’t so nice. But everyone there had a not so nice history. How would Nations ever be able to like each other if they kept holding grudges about times that have long since passed? They would all hate each other, and that just wouldn’t do._

_“I must introduce you to my brother, Germany. I don’t believe you two have met.” From behind him a relatively quiet and striking young man walked towards her. His stature was tall and proud, but not in the smug way that Prussia sometimes showed._

_“It’s nice to meet you,” he said, bowing his head cordially. Hungary didn’t think the frivolity of the occasion really suited him. That was another similarity between him and Prussia._

_“This is Hungary. Just about one of the most awesome Nations you will meet, brother. I know her looks can be deceiving so don’t mess with her because she hits back. Hard.” He winked at her and she reminisced about times that had long since passed._

_Whenever Prussia was around something inside her was just happier. He always knew the best things to say._

_“I’m so pleased that there was another unification; first Italy and now Germany. I just know that the coming twentieth century will be one for the ages! The twentieth century, can you believe it?”  Hungary knew that this was going to be a good era, it just had to be._

_“I agree. The world’s changing for the better. No more Dark Ages, trains connecting Europe, globalization, it seems there are new technological advancements with each passing day,” Prussia added. “I think people are finally figuring their shit out!”_

_Austria was behind her by now and narrowed his eyes at Prussia, not in the mood for his raucous behavior at his nice party._

_“Hello, Prussia. Always knowing the classy things to say, I see.”_

_Prussia clapped him on the back. “It’s good to see you too Roddy! Always knowing how to be a stick in the mud, I see.”_

_Hungary always felt the slightest bit uncomfortable around them when they were together, but she couldn’t deny that their banter was amusing. To ameliorate the situation she butted in, “Roderich, have you met Prussia’s brother Germany?”_

_“I can’t say I have. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said, putting his hand out for Germany to shake. “You’re going to have to keep your brother under control,” Austria added._

_Germany laughed jokingly. “Will do.”_

_“Roddy! You can’t just recruit_ **_my_ ** _brother; he’s with me, remember?” Prussia gaped with mock indignation._

_Austria began to walk away, ready to attend to other guests. As he was doing so, he put his hands out to his side and shrugged his shoulders. “I might be a step ahead of you! I’d watch out!” he called back, a jovial smile on his face._

_Prussia smiled back, his sharp teeth glinting in the dim light of the room. He sighed. “Oh Austria. Can’t live with him, can’t live without him!”_

_Was that Austria and Prussia getting along? Were they actually joking with each other? Yes, Eliza did believe that the twentieth century would be spectacular._

_“Well I’ll be back to talk with you in a bit. I have to introduce Germany to everyone- show off the new blood, isn’t that right West?”_

_Hungary rolled her eyes at the nickname. “West? Really? Creative, Gil.”_

_“Hey I think it’s great! Don’t you like it?” he asked, turning to Germany._

_Germany nodded his head and shrugged. “See?”_

_“Okay, whatever. I’ll see you later then.”_

_"You can count on that.” His red eyes flashed and his gaze seemed to pierce her skin with heat._

_She knew she loved him. There was really no point in trying to convince herself otherwise by now. For years she had tried to persuade herself that it was a phase or just lust or something- anything. But now she knew that none of that was true._

_“It was really nice to meet you, Hungary” Germany said as he broke her out of her reverie._

_“The pleasure is mine,” she said with a smile, as they walked off to speak with other guests._

* * *

_“You like her.” Germany stated as if it were a fact._

_“Who?”_

_“Hungary. I can see it.”_

_“She’s an old friend.”_

_“It’s more than that,” Germany prodded._

_Prussia just scoffed.”You think you’re so perceptive, don’t you?”_

_Germany gave a cheeky smile._

_“Well you’re wrong. We’re friends. Really good friends.”_

_“Oh come on, Gilbert! Anyone with eyes can see it. You are completely different around her. And I don’t have a problem with it, she’s pretty and seems nice-”_

_Prussia looked at Germany with raised eyebrows and cut him off. “Just some words of advice, West: Don’t think that you can just read people and know everything about them. Especially Nations.” His words came out more icily than he intended to._

_Germany put his hands up and laughed. “Fine, fine. Forget I said anything.”_

* * *

_It was an hour or so later before Gilbert found her on the balcony. The crisp winter air created a zephyr that lightly blew her hair back from her face. It was a perfect night as she gazed upon other guests with their fur coats strolling in the candlelit gardens below. In that moment she realized just how lucky she was._

_“Hey,” came Prussia’s voice as she jumped, startled by the sudden noise._

_“Hey, you scared me.”_

_He came up next to her. “Then I’m doing my job right.” He laughed and she laughed and she had wished that she could live that night a thousand times over._

_“You look nice tonight, but that goes without saying.”_

_Eliza looked out to the city lights and to the great beyond. “You look pretty sharp yourself.”_

_“Well I’m glad I got the Elizabeta Seal of Approval.”_

_A comfortable silence came between them that felt as natural as riding a bike. Incense burned outside that made the air smell like jasmine and the winter night sky was cloudless._

_“There’s Orion,” Hungary mentioned in passing. “It’s just about the only one I know besides The Big Dipper.”_

_Prussia looked up and pointed. “That right there is Gemini. That’s your zodiac sign, right? June eighth?”_

_Internal amusement played at her emotions. Here he was, Gilbert Beilschmidt. The Nation who is always just way too in to himself, and he remembered and thought about her constellation. “Yes, but where are you pointing?” she asked, not seeing anything remotely resembling twins._

_He then proceeded to stand behind her and put his cheek so that it was touching hers. He pointed to where two bright stars shown in the sky._

_“Those are the heads. The one on the left is Pollux and Castor is on the right.”_

_The stars shown in the sky like a ball of fire, each one a sun with probably a whole solar system just like theirs. “You know in all these years that I’ve been here, I’ve never seen my constellation before.”_

_“That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard,” Gilbert said, mocking her. “How could you not have seen your own constellation?”_

_“I don’t know, I guess I just never had the time.”_

_Gilbert laughed. “If Nations don’t have time, then I don’t know what to tell you. Gemini is one of my favorites. The twins’ mother was Queen of Sparta. They were so alike that they never fought with each other and they always asked each other for advice. According to myth, they were part of the Argonauts and rescued Helen. They got in a fight with another set of twins and Castor was impaled. Zeus saved Pollux from the other twin, and gave him two choices: to have complete immortality and live the rest of his days on Mt. Olympus, or to give half of the immortality to his brother. Pollux chose the latter, and now they are the brightest stars in the constellation. Immortal after thousands of years.”_

_Hungary thought the idea of that was beautiful. “I really like being a Gemini. When did you become such a Greek Mythology buff?”_

_“I just like good stories,” was all he responded with._

_“So what’s your constellation?”_

_“I am a Capricorn. Mine’s just a water goat.”_

_She giggled and he got drunk off it like wine. “I’m sure there’s more to the story than ‘just a water goat’.”_

_He shrugged. “When I die I want to be remembered as something epic, like a constellation or some sort of mountain. Not some statue. I want something big that can’t be torn down.”_

_“Well you aren’t dying any time soon so you have plenty of time to think about that.”_

  _“I wonder what it’s like to die.”_

_“Why so morbid tonight?”_

_"Just because I’m talking about death doesn’t mean I’m morbid. I’m just genuinely curious. That’s the thing about it though. Everyone’s experienced it or will experience it. No one’s escaped it and yet no one knows a thing about it. People will go to war over what they think death means for them. Even as so-called immortals we aren’t completely immortal. Death will come eventually.”_

_“I don’t like death. I like life.”_

_“Well what if death is infinitely better than life and we just don’t know it yet? Humans spend all this time coming up with what they think death means, from the religious to the non-religious and everything in between, and I’m just sitting here wondering what that means for a Nation. You don’t really hear about the likes of us in the Bible stories.”_

_Hungary turned to him, her eyebrows furrowed. “We aren’t going anywhere, Gil.”_

_“I know, I know. It’s just- can you imagine something like that? There better be a heaven so I can just soak up the sun, drink beer, and not worry about anything for the rest of eternity.”_

_“I think it’s kind of sad to just think that this is it.”_

_“Yeah when I die if there isn’t some major revelation about the workings of the universe and life’s great mysteries then I am going to be seriously pissed off.”_

_She chuckled, just imagining Prussia being the one to get upset at some sort of higher power._

_“I’d have to have people there with me, in heaven I mean,” Hungary pointed out. “Even doing something fun by yourself becomes not fun if there aren’t any people to share the experience with.”_

_There was no reply. She looked from the view and saw Gilbert gazing at her. “What?” I asked, suddenly self conscious. “Is there food on my face? Gilbert if there was food on my face this whole time and you didn’t tell me then so help me God-”_

_“Calm down, you don’t have any food on your face.” He said, cutting me off._

_She paused. “-Then what is it?”_

_“You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen on this Earth... -And that’s saying something. I’ve been on this Earth a long time and seen a lot of things, but you take the cake.” He spoke as if it was some simple fact. His nonchalance made her smile and her heart was beating faster._

_She could feel her cheeks getting hot as she looked down to the bottom of her long green dress. “We’ve been through some crazy stuff over the years, haven’t we?”_

_“And we still have many more to come.”  He rested his hand over hers on top of the railing. His pale skin was almost luminescent in the moonlight. “How have we all made it this far? Almost the 1900’s. 1900!”_

_His excitement was rubbing off on her and she added, “Time travel? Space? Who knows where it will lead.”_

_“Come down to the gardens with me, Elizabeta” Prussia nearly begged, grabbing her hand and leading her back into the house._

_“Of course,” she assured as she went along with him, a rush of adrenaline and excitement pumping through her. The wonder of the night was rubbing off on her and she chose to forget about Austria and all of the people inside. Hungary picked up her long dress and followed him through the corridors of the house to the gardens._

_The crunch of the rocky path could be heard under her heels as she stepped out to explore with Prussia pulling her along. The candles on either side made her feel like this was what heaven was. She didn’t need to die to experience it. Prussia held her hand as they passed the flowers and trees. Eventually they stopped and sat on a lone bench under a cherry tree with a pond. Lilies floated in it and bright red fish could be seen swimming through it._

_Prussia reached up to her face. “I just want you. I don’t want heaven. You’re better than heaven. I want you,” he breathed, his face getting close to hers._

_By now her heart nearly leapt out of her chest, and she felt exhilaration course through her. He was like some sort of drug- even through everything they did to each other, she couldn’t stop loving him._

_She kissed him._

_He tasted like pine and leather and the sea and his cologne seemed to make all of her senses and nerves turn to fire. She loved him. For hundreds of years she had always loved him. He reached out to touch her face and put his other hand in her hair. She couldn’t get close enough to him._

_He leaned forward and next thing she knew she was lying down against the cold bench, hair sprawled out behind her. His lips were then on her neck, leaving a trail of heat. He grabbed her under the arch of her back as the candles nearby flickered under the breeze. His hands were strong and aggressive as he held her arms down and he began to kiss her lips again. Normally Hungary was not like this. She was rational and intelligent with her actions but everything was too perfect to pass up on a moment like this._

_“Oh so this is a thing,” came Romano’s voice from a few meters away and they shot up. “Is this what 1900 means? A man can’t go outside for a smoke without seeing this?” he motioned towards them, his face one of perpetual irritation._

_Prussia pulled away and she sat up thanking God that it was dark out and Romano wouldn’t be able to see the redness of her face._

_“Hey, Romano,” Prussia said tentatively._

_Romano just shrugged. “Meh.” Was all he said._

_“So you’re not upset or freaked out or anything?”_

_“Why would I be? Always thought you two liked each other. Disgusting, really. And next time, get a fucking room.”_

_Prussia glanced at Hungary, raising his eyebrows. “So you’re not going to tell anyone about this?”_

_“Why the hell would I? People seem to be getting along. This isn’t my problem.”_

_And with that he proceeded to leave them alone in that awkward ‘what just happened’ sort of silence. It wasn’t the first time that they kissed, they had a few times before but it always ended in confusion. Hungary hoped this wouldn’t be another one of those times. Thoughts raced through her mind. She never knew what Prussia was really thinking. He hid is feelings behind his own self-obsessed mask._

_“Maybe we should get back to the house,” Prussia broke the silence._

_“Yeah” she responded, realizing that was the most explanation she was going to get._

_As they sat up and began walking back to the house, Prussia sighed. “Oh fuck it.”_

_Hungary looked at him with a questioning glance._

_He turned to her. “I love you, okay? Always have, always will. No one can make me feel otherwise. There won’t be a day on this Earth that I won’t love you, and I know you’re in that alliance with him, but I have to say this to you because people always said to live as though it was your last day and so there. I’m sorry if I’ve fucked with your feelings throughout the years. I can be a real asshole, I know. I’ve done some pretty shitty things in my life that I’m not proud of and honestly I don’t blame you if you can’t forgive me. When I felt like dying back in that war, you were my enemy and I still wanted you. I still loved you. The government and the people couldn’t take that away from me. I never liked hurting you..... In fact, I hated myself more than anything in the world because of it.  I tried. Oh, I tried to make myself hate you, to want to kill you, but I couldn’t. Look, all I’m trying to say is that you are the best thing that’s happened in my life and even in that war when I was fighting in the country every day I thought of you and being with you and loving you.”_

_Hungary was paralyzed into shock.  Was it alcohol that was speaking to her? “I-I don’t know what to say,” she was barely able to choke out. But then her senses came back to her just like they always did. “Everything is so complicated and strange and I know that I love you. But I can’t hurt Roderich. You have to understand.” She hated saying it, but he had known it for a while now. “We’re Nations before we’re human.”_

_“But you don’t love him, do you?”_

_“What does it matter if I love him or not? We’re Nations not humans. We don’t pick who we have treaties with.” Hungary wanted to cry out. It was too late, wasn’t it? “You could have told me this any other time, but now I’m stuck. I care for him, Gil.”_

_Prussia sighed, and looked up at the night sky. “I knew it.”_

_His voice physically pained her. Seeing him upset was unnatural and disturbed her down to her core. “Let’s just get back to the party, people are going to wonder where we are.”_

_Hungary walked passed him, heading back the way they came until she heard, “An alliance doesn’t have to mean anything,” he whispered._

_She stopped dead in her tracks and took a deep breath. “I couldn’t do that to him, Gil.”_

_“Come on, Elizabeta. He knows there’s something between us. He’s seen us before. He’s not stupid.”_

_Hungary could feel her emotions start to take control. “Just because you didn’t feel like taking off your little mask during all those years, and now you decide to do it and want everything to go your way?” She walked back up to him so that her face was inches from his. “It’s out of my control! Roderich has loved me. It’s a different sort of love. He cares for me. I’ve loved you for so long but I felt I never knew you. Sometimes I would swear you loved me back and other times I was positive that you wanted me dead-”_

_“How could you ever think that?”_

_“I can’t just read minds, Prussia! You’re a better actor then you thought.” She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. “It doesn’t matter now.” She closed her eyes, trying to figure out a way to salvage the situation. “In time. This alliance won’t last forever. After that we may have a shot.” She gave him a small smile of reassurance. “For now there is nothing stopping us from being friends. There is a party we have to get to.” Hungary didn’t want this perfect night to be ruined and she had to fix whatever this was between them so she took his hand._

_She closed her eyes. “Remember, I still love you.”_

_Prussia tightened his grip around her hand and sighed, probably accepting her peace offering._

_As they made their way into the music room, Austria was making an announcement. His eyes fell to them as them walked in, making their entrance known to everyone._

_“I just wanted to thank everyone for coming, and now I want to share with you a musical piece that I want to dedicate to Elizabeta.” Applause came from the one hundred plus guests as Austria approached his black grand piano. Hungary made her way to the front of the crowd as he began to play a beautiful piece. They all listened intently and she was blown away. She noticed Prussia’s stares and Romano’s raised eyebrows._

_When the music was done she rushed to Austria. “Thank you, it was beautiful. Truly.”_

_He smiled, his violet eyes gleaming through his glasses. “Composing comes so much easier when I think about you.” She hugged him, but could practically feel Gilbert roll his eyes. Why did everything have to be this hard?_

_Austria raised his glass. “I also want to take this time to raise a toast to a new Nation, Germany. I can already see the strength in you and I am happy to have a new addition to this European continent. Let’s hope for a prosperous and peaceful twentieth century.”_

_Applause erupted again as a bright smile lit up Germany’s features when he raised his own glass. He mouthed a ‘thank you’._

_More music began to play as the party continued well into the night. Hungary couldn’t stop the feeling of guilt that began gnawing at her but she didn’t know why she was feeling that way. Just because she was in an alliance didn’t mean that she owed Austria her life. And yet there was still that guilty feeling. Perhaps it was because she did care for him, but not in the way she cared for Prussia. She cared for no one like she cared for Prussia. Nevertheless, it felt wrong to go behind his back. He didn’t deserve it. She knew he loved her in some respect._

_“Only two more minutes!” England called out to everyone. At that point all of them made their way to the huge balcony. Whispers of excitement could be heard everywhere as the large group was ready to ring in the new century._

_The grandfather clock began to tick down with each swing of the pendulum. “Five... Four...” they all began to call out. “Three... Two... One!” Applause erupted and the new fireworks lit up the night sky, the vivid colors reflecting in everyones glasses, jewelry and eyes. The inky sky turned golden and fiery, all of them in awe. Just then someone whipped her around and lips came crashing down to hers._

_It was Prussia, obviously ignoring their previous conversation. Everyone was there, no doubt looking on at them in curiosity. She couldn’t stop him, and frankly, she didn’t want to. She had to start living for her, right? Why bring in the new year not doing what she wanted? She was no one’s. She was only her own and she was free to do what she wanted. Yes, that was it._

_Eventually he let her go and whispered, “You should love who you love.” With that he was gone. Typical, over-dramatic Prussia. Still, Hungary’s stomach dropped when she saw Austria._

_The next thing she knew Germany was there, standing next to her. “And to think that he tried to tell me that he didn’t like you,” he smiled. Hungary could tell he was trying to cheer her up._

_She laughed. “Really? He doesn’t like expressing his emotions, does he?”_

_“Nope, not at all.” They gazed out, the sound of other conversations on the balcony filling the silence. “He’s a good man, Hungary. I know he can seem unapproachable and in his own little world but I can tell he cares for you.”_

_Hungary smiled at herself. “Thanks, Germany. You can call me Elizabeta.”_

_“And you may call me Ludwig. Happy New Year,” he said as he raised his glass to hers and left her to stare at the fireworks._

* * *

 I could remember that night so vividly. I thought my life was complicated then. I would give anything to go back to when my problems were petty. I could feel my eyes begin to glaze over.

“Hungary, he’s this way,” Yugoslavia’s voice jerked me back to reality. She could sense my wistful longing.

“Right.”

I proceeded down the hall, the air getting heavy and thick. Yugoslavia opened the door into the room. The sheer curtains were drawn and a small candle was lit. I saw his figure under the covers, fidgeting and groaning. Yugoslavia turned on a light.

“Austria you can’t be cooped up in this darkness all the time. Hungary is here to see you.”

I approached the bed and opened some of the curtains to let more light in. “Hi Roderich. How are you doing?” I asked even though I knew the painful answer.

He propped his head up on the pillows and reached to the nightstand for his glasses. His body was frail and weak, his cheeks were sullen and sunken in. I suddenly felt my stomach feel sick. It took a lot to get a Nation in this state. He forced a small smile on his face. “I’ve been better.” He tried to lighten the mood but I could see right through it. I pulled up a chair. He needed something to take his mind off the pain. 

His hand reached up to my face. “How are you Elizabeta? Are you still doing okay?”

I grabbed onto his hand as if it was a life preserver. “I’m doing okay Roderich, but like you said, I’ve been better.” Was that the understatement of my life. I couldn’t imagine how Roderich was feeling now. 

Out of nowhere he started to chuckle to himself and I wondered what made him do that. None of this was a laughing matter and Austria was never the type to laugh when inappropriate.

“What is it?” I questioned, a bit perturbed at his demeanor.

“It’s just that _bastard_.” I cringed at that. Roderich almost never swore. In all my life I think I could count on one hand all the times that he cursed. “But no matter how much I want to hate him, I can’t because he has kept you safe. He has kept his promise.”

I knew that he was talking about Gilbert and I gulped hard. I hated him. Why couldn’t he? It would have been a funny turn of events if it wasn’t so depressing. Roderich at least respecting him solely because he was keeping me safe, and then there was me. I couldn’t stand him. Whatever love that had been there all those years ago had been burned away. All that was left was a shell of loathing. That same guilt came flooding back to me. Here I was, doing miles better than Roderich because that _monster_ decided to help me out. I never asked for his help. I never asked to be indebted to him. And here I was while Roderich was dying, probably taunting him. Thinking back to that New Year’s Eve made me want to cry out. How could I have done that to Austria? We may not have loved each other like Gilbert and I had loved each other, but Roderich still cared for me and I cared for him. It was more than just a cordial, friendly arrangement.

“Roderich I-”

He spoke softly. “Don’t feel guilty, Elizabeta. Just the knowledge that you are healthy lifts my spirits more than you could ever know.”

I couldn’t stop my tears now. I had felt the prick behind my eyes and tried to force myself to stay strong for him, but here I was, my eyes turning shiny as I tried to bite my lip as a last ditch effort to hold back the tears.

“How could this have happened?” I cried out, knowing full well that there was no good answer to my question. I buried my head in my hand, unable to retain any semblance of control.

“Shh, shhh.” Roderich weakly wiped a tear that was rolling down my cheek.

“I’m sorry, I know the last thing you want right now is to listen to me balling my eyes out about things none of us can change.”

A solemn look came over him. “Elizabeta, it would be a lie if you just came here trying to discuss the lovely weather or what you had for breakfast with a false smile. This is our new reality. It’s okay.”

“How could you say that?” I cried desperately. “Nothing is okay. The world is burning and the only thing I can do is watch those closest to me either become brainwashed barbarians or skeletons on the brink of death!” The world seemed as though it was closing in around me and all I could do was just watch. I was powerless against everything. 

Roderich squeezed his eyes together and I could tell that he was trying to hide the pain. His people were dying and his power over his country was fading. The country of Austria was no more and I could see him disintegrating before my eyes.

I took a deep and broken breath. “I’m going to go make you something. Something from the olden days. You need to eat.” The chair screeched out from under me as I swiftly exited the room. I couldn’t be in there anymore. The culpability was eating at me. How could I have ever loved that- that- Nazi? My hands couldn’t stop shaking as I could see everything I had ever known become destroyed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite chapter! Please feel free to leave kudos/comments!! :) <3


	10. Update

Hey everyone!

I apologize for the lack of an update, but this story will NOT be put in incomplete hell. I do intend to finish it- now how long that will take me, it's anyone's guess. The next chapter should hopefully go up before the end of January. I haven't updated because a lot of [good] changes have happened in my life regarding college and stuff and I'm busier than ever. Seriously. I've never been so busy in my entire life.

Another thing is that I have editing to do. I'm in the process of converting the posted chapters to 3rd person (which is super annoying, but alas it must be done). I feel like the storytelling would be more effective that way. I will also change a couple things in previous chapters that I'm not 100% happy with.

Don't worry- this won't be a common occurrence. By now I have a pretty strong grasp on where the characters are going to go, and I've spent countless hours on tvtropes to really make them detailed and three-dimensional. They're pretty cool! I'm so excited to show you guys all this awesome stuff that is happening!

Like always, thank you to those who are reading this, and an extra big thanks to those who follow, review and favorite. It means a lot to me and keeps me writing.

I do updated my tumblr (day-chaser) relatively frequently so if you want to ask any questions or see what's on my mind check it out!

Anyway, happy 2016, and I hope you all have an amazing year full of growth and beautiful experiences.  
xx


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